ACTION taken by Chief Minister Lyndon Trott and some members of the Policy Council over the airport firefighters’ dispute has left the States pay negotiator unable to function meaningfully, it was claimed today.

The resignation letters of all five members of the Public Sector Remuneration Committee were published in a billet this morning and will be debated next week.

Their action followed an intervention by ministers on the Emergency Powers Authority to broker a deal with the firefighters behind the PSRC’s back to keep the airport open.

‘The recent intervention in the airport firemen’s pay dispute by the Chief Minister and certain members of the Policy Council has left our committee severely compromised,’ said PSRC vice-chairman Tony Spruce (pictured) in his letter.

‘In my view we are now unable to function meaningfully and fulfil our mandate. The situation that has unfolded is without doubt unprecedented and unacceptable. Our committee has worked tirelessly to achieve reasonable pay settlements with all other public sector pay groups. We have followed the States of Guernsey’s agreed corporate strategy of containing public sector expenditure, only to be overruled by the very ministers who advocated the strategy.’