This Is Guernsey

By Joel de Woolfson

UNIONS fear that mounting financial pressure on the States could seriously hinder pay negotiations for teachers, nurses and civil servants.

The respective unions for the public sector workers joined to write a letter to Chief Minister Lyndon Trott expressing their concern at the latest inflation figure of 5.5%. States Works staff are set to walk out on strike action on Monday over the failure of the Public Sector Remuneration Committee to offer them a suitable pay rise.

Frank Allen (pictured), national secretary of Prospect, which looks after civil servants, said the collective representatives needed to meet the Policy Council as soon as possible.

‘With inflation running the way it is and being unlikely to come down, we are worried about the impact it will have on the States,’ he said. ‘You have an employer that for a long time has been saying it must curb expenditure and then on the other hand you have 5.5% inflation that is also likely to go higher. It’s going to increase pressure on the States and we cannot just bury our heads in the sand.’

Mr Allen said the situation would not be easily resolved because of the financial constraints the States is under.

‘They are going to have to look at meaningful pay increases,’ he said.

‘We are trying to avoid the same situation that the States is having with the manual workers at the moment.

‘The pressure on pay within the States is going to be quite severe. We are aware of the black hole, but somehow we need to find a way through. It cannot be ignored.’

He said strike action had not even been talked about as a possibility yet.

‘We feel genuinely concerned but we want to deal with it in a responsible way.

‘That’s why we want to meet the Policy Council to discuss what options are available.

‘We need to look at what we are going to do about it.’

Mr Allen was due to meet the Public Sector Remuneration Committee next week to open the discussion on pay increases for civil servants.

Deputy Trott is seeking a meeting with the PSRC to discuss progress on pay talks.

He will meet chairman Deputy Al Brouard to discuss concerns raised by unions.

‘I am determined to do all I can personally to help ensure a negotiated settlement,’ said Deputy Trott.

‘I need to have the full picture on the talks so far and then we can consider a next step.’

Article posted on 19th July, 2008 - 9.30am