FDA rejects bonus criticisms

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Tuesday, 22, Jul 2008 12:00

The FDA - the union for senior managers and professionals in the civil service - today rejected criticisms by the Welsh Conservatives of bonuses paid to senior staff in the Welsh Assembly Government.

Paul Neilson, FDA national officer for Wales, said:

"We are surprised at the comments of the Welsh Conservatives criticising bonuses for the Senior Civil Service. This system was designed and introduced by the Conservative Government in 1996, and is a method of saving tax-payers' money.

"Pay increases for senior officials in the Welsh Assembly Government are determined by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body, which sets pay for the Senior Civil Service.

"For 2008-09 only 1.5% of new money is available for base pay increases for senior Assembly Government staff, which is below that available for other staff in WAG and in the vast majority of other civil service departments."

"Bonus payments are not permanent and are non-pensionable. In effect, base pay is being held down in favour of one-off payments that do not affect future levels of pay or pension.

"Bonuses are only paid to staff who achieve or exceed their work objectives. Far from being a 'money for nothing culture', those who do not achieve their objectives will not get any pay increases.

"It is a fact that pay for senior staff is well below that of employees in the private sector and elsewhere in the public sector doing similar work. It is indicative of their dedication that these senior staff remain committed to public service when they could be much better rewarded working elsewhere."

Notes for Editors

1. The FDA is the trade union and professional body representing 18,000 of the UK’s senior civil and public servants. Our members include policy advisors, senior managers, tax inspectors, economists, statisticians, accountants, special advisers, government lawyers, schools inspectors, diplomats, crown prosecutors and NHS managers.

2. Members in HMRC are represented by the Association of Revenue and Customs (ARC), a section of the FDA.

3. The FDA (formerly the First Division Association) should be referred to simply as "The FDA" and can be described as "the senior public servants’ union".

4. For further information contact:

• Paul Neilson, FDA National Officer, tel: 020 7401 5555.

• Oliver Rowe, Communications Officer, tel: 020 7401 5588 or 07751 366680.