PCS, the largest civil service union, organised protests over pay on 31 August in three of the largest government departments. The three departments - Justice, Home Office, Revenue and Customs - have all indicated that they will maintain the 1% pay cap for another year. Research for PCS has shown that the effect of pay freezes and the pay gap has cost civil servants anything from £3500 (€3800) to £20000 (€21700) depending on grade. The union is calling for a pay rise of 5% or £1200 (€1300).
Pay protest across civil service
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Pay trends analysed across in Europe and in civil service
The latest annual pay survey from the EIRO industrial relations observatory shows a drop in average negotiated pay increases in 2009. The overall average fell from 5.1% in 2008 to 4.2% in 2009 while in the Eurozone the increases were lower, down from 3.9% in 2008 to 3.2% in 2009. The civil service increase in 2009 was lower again at 2.9%, down from 4.2% in 2008, with seven countries already registering a pay freeze in 2009. Read more at > EIRO (EN)
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