“NI civil servants are simply being left behind” Allan Sampson says that the ongoing political stalemate in Northern Ireland has meant no civil servants at any grade have seen a meaningful pay increase this year:

Civil service pay structures have remained unreformed for three decades. We need a pay system that properly rewards talent, knowledge and expertise. Our joint letter to the Minister for the Cabinet Office with Prospect Union ⬇️

A serious govt makes serious decisions, understanding the consequences. Arbitrary targets and fantasy dates for perfect staffing levels ably demonstrate this is neither. My response to the Chancellor’s statement on cutting civil service numbers ⬇️

Government is difficult at the best of times and requires collaboration. The vile language used to describe a senior civil servant revealed today at the COVID inquiry demonstrates the toxic culture at the heart of the government that could have hindered the pandemic response.

Our 2023 intern Fran Milner launches our State of Pay report, running through its key findings - including that 76% of survey respondents believe the current pay system is not fair or equitable

Public servants are more than just a bargaining chip in the negotiations to restore Stormont. They urgently need a pay rise. In the absence of political leadership in Belfast, Chris Heaton-Harris can & should urgently step in to avoid further damage to vital public services. 1/3

Alex Neil again calling into question the impartiality of Scotland’s public servants. Insulting and disrespectful and not a great look for him to be talking Scotland’s institutions down.

Pressure mounts on ministers to release funds for NI pay rises civilserviceworld.com//professions/a…

Where things have clearly gone wrong they should be fully investigated, but to suggest that large swathes of Scottish civil servants were working in contravention of the civil service code just isn’t based in reality - Allan Sampson thetimes.co.uk/article/dont-d…

Helpful introductory meeting with the new Finance Minister this morning, discussing the immediate need to address civil service pay. Civil Servants in Northern Ireland cannot be left behind. We look forward to working in collaboration to develop a sustainable pay strategy.

"Future governments in Holyrood will rely on the civil service to deliver their priorities, so any serious political party should think very carefully about the damage these sweeping allegations of bias are doing to such a vital institution." Allan Sampson holyrood.com/inside-politic…

⁦Cat Harvey⁩ Come on Scotland!

The FDA welcomes the engagement with Ministers on the Scottish Government Pay Policy 2024-25. This should provide a good basis for us to progress discussions and we look forward to further engagement to resolve outstanding issues around civil service pay. gov.scot/publications/s…

FDA tells MSPs that uncertainty around jobs regarding the future of a new education body in Scotland has been “very difficult”. FDA Education Scotland Convenor Ken McAra also raised issues with pay, a long hours culture & a lack of political engagement. fda.org.uk/home/Newsandme…

Accies couldn’t Hold The Line today - predictably blown away by Ayr - but at least TOTO at the Hydro is turning things around! 🎶 #TOTO #Glasgow #HoldTheLine #FromDefeatToTheBeat

"Without sustained further investment, we risk undermining public confidence in Scotland’s justice system and placing intolerable strain on an already overstretched workforce." - Allan Sampson scotsman.com/news/crime/jus…

The civil service has grown because governments have wanted to do more. Post Brexit the UK needed thousands more border guards to meet the new demands of EU border checks. The government can have a smaller civil service but it will need to decide what it will stop delivering

The Scottish Govt’s Public Service Reform Strategy signals major change across public services. FDA welcomes union engagement but will closely monitor risks around workforce changes, centralisation & automation. We’ll ensure members' voices are heard.

Selectively picking quotes to demonise civil servants instead of coming to terms with the fact the world of work has changed. A flexible, hybrid approach benefits employees and employers. There's a balance to be struck but this kind of reporting adds nothing to that discussion.

What you won’t get from this article is that the head of the NICS got the same pay rise as the rest of the civil service – negotiated by trade unions – or that the most senior staff have exactly the same pension scheme as the rest of the civil service. Jayne Brady runs an