TALKS over pay increases for public service workers are deadlocked. Due to the failure of the Public Sector Remuneration Committee and Unite, representing the workers, to come to an agreement, the industrial disputes officer has been called in to mitigate.

But Ron Le Cras (pictured), Unite’s regional industrial organiser, questioned whether the PSRC could even negotiate with the union because of the States’ decision to curb spending.

‘Our concern at the moment is, is the PSRC able to agree a proper pay rise or not? Because they keep telling us their hands are tied,’ he said. ‘All the people who we deal with in the private sector, and any other companies I know, are all paying  RPI or above rises to their staff but the States of Guernsey is saying it is not able to give us an RPI pay increase.

‘Therefore, public service employees feel they are being made to pay for zero-10 twice.’

The deal should have been settled by 1 January. Workers rejected a 3% pay offer and are claiming last September’s RPI figure of 4.9% plus a further 3%.