PCS: Cuts to civil service redundancy pay could be illegal, union warns

Thursday, 15 July 2010 12:00 AM

The new government's plans to cut civil service redundancy terms could be challenged in parliament and the courts, the Public and Commercial Services union warns.

Following legal advice, the union is urging MPs to question the validity of the 'money bill' laid in parliament today (15 July) by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude.

Plans to cut the accrued rights of existing civil and public servants could also be challenged on human rights grounds, the union believes.

The High Court has ruled twice in PCS's favour that the previous government acted unlawfully when it tried to cut redundancy terms without the union's agreement.

The union also says the Cabinet Office's claim that civil servants can receive six years' pay on being made redundant is highly misleading because this applies to almost none of the existing workforce.

Nor is it accurate to say that the 'average' payout is three years' salary. Only staff with 20 years' service would qualify for this, but the average length of service for admin officers - who make up 47% of the civil service - is just seven years, rising to 14 years for executive officers.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "We will be studying the proposed legislation in detail, but our advice suggests the government might be repeating the mistakes of the previous administration in acting outside the law, simply to make it easier and cheaper to cuts tens of thousands of jobs.

"We fundamentally reject the need for these cuts and, as well as challenging them in parliament and the courts if necessary, we will pursue every avenue to oppose them in towns and cities across the UK."

ENDS

Notes

- For information and interview requests, contact PCS national press officer Richard Simcox on 020 7801 2747 or 07833 978216

- The Public and Commercial Services union represents civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 300,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies. It also represents workers in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK's fifth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich

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