This Is Guernsey

By Nigel Baudains

Public sector employees gather to discuss their pay claim.

THE deputy responsible for negotiating States pay up until the election advised politicians to stay away from tomorrow’s public sector workers’ wage presentation. All States members have been invited to La Grande Mare, where Unite regional industrial organiser Ron Le Cras will give the talk on behalf of the workers.

Former deputy Jonathan Le Tocq said members were free to go but had been advised not to because pay negotiations, as far as the States was concerned, were a matter for the Public Sector Remuneration Committee, which he chaired in the last government.  ‘The PSRC is mandated to negotiate on the States’ behalf,’ said Mr Le Tocq.

‘The new States has chosen a chairman and committee members and it’s up to them to pick up the pieces from where we left off. ‘We thought that while we were in the middle of negotiations, the new committee should be given time before something is done.’

States members who attend the meeting are likely to hear a one-sided argument, he said.

‘The PSRC in the past has negotiated with the unions on the back of talks with the departments and the new departments would not even have had time to discuss the matter yet.

‘If they [workers] want to negotiate with the States as a whole in open session, then they should get somebody to bring a States report to the House.’

Mr Le Tocq’s successor, Deputy Al Brouard, said he saw no reason why States members should stay away and he planned to go himself.

‘I have no problem at all with States members attending,’ he said.

‘It will give them a chance to hear what the union has to say and the more information and the better the understanding we have over their concerns, the more chance we’ll have of coming up with a solution.’

Public sector workers have rejected a 3% pay offer. They are asking for the September RPI figure of 4.9% plus 3%.

Mr Le Cras said the union wanted to make States members aware of the difficulties his members were having because the money does not at present  come from a central pot.

‘It has to be wrong that departments are responsible for their own budget regarding pay. It should be negotiated centrally,’ he said.

There was a case, he said, for all States workers having their pay reviewed at the same time.

‘The States should have budgeted for a minimum of RPI for public sector workers and because they haven’t, it means [with budget cuts] that workers are being expected to pay for zero-10 twice.’