SOME States employees may face a pay freeze next year.
But new Public Sector Remuneration Committee chairman Allister Langlois (pictured) is against a blanket freeze along the lines that has caused outrage in Jersey.
The concept of holding wages at current levels will be on the committee’s agenda as employees in the private sector face up to the idea as economic growth stalls.
In the UK, a report by the Taxpayers’ Alliance and the Institute of Directors has suggested freezing public sector pay for a year.
The current PSRC was elected less than two months ago after the previous one resigned in the wake of the airport firefighters’ dispute.
‘We will be formulating a general policy for the coming year or two years fairly soon and we will no doubt be asked by a number of people and groups to consider the possibility of a pay freeze,’ said Deputy Langlois.
‘I haven’t talked to my committee about this in any detail, but as chairman I think it is an unlikely situation for two reasons.’
The first is because the previous committee negotiated some agreements that lasted more than one year.
‘What does a pay freeze mean in that situation? Do you renege on longer-term agreements? You can’t. Or do you apply it only to those settling in that year, which to them is unfair.’
The other reason was because each sector was negotiating a deal in a different labour market.
For example, one area might be struggling to attract new recruits so could need a targeted increase.
‘While I have to say we will, as a committee, be talking about it [a blanket pay freeze], my present position is that it is highly unlikely. I would not rule out the possibility that for a particular group the negotiated settlement is nothing for a year.’
Jersey’s pay freeze has provoked an angry reaction from the public sector.
A vote of no confidence in its States Employment Board was tabled at mass meeting of around 1,000 workers a week ago.
In the wake of that Jersey’s Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur said the door was still open to negotiation, even within the fixed pay envelope.
Article posted on 15th September, 2009 - 2.29pm
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