‘Clarity needed over pay rise for public sector workers’ – Newry MLA

SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh Justin McNulty has said that the Head of the Civil Service and the Department of Finance must urgently clarify as to whether or not public sector workers will receive a pay rise in line with other devolved regions.

Speaking to Newry Times, McNulty said, “Public sector workers are at the front line of public services here, be that in health, education or in criminal justice.

“This week the UK Government announced a pay rise for public sector workers and it must apply here too.

“Urgent clarity is needed for our vital public sector workers. If the Department of Finance cannot deliver a pay rise for our public sector workers, especially given the ambiguity around the decision-making processes here in the absence of departmental ministers, it will be yet another sorry indictment of our political impasse. 

“I sincerely hope it will apply here and the finance to fund it will follow from Westminster. Services are stretched, staff are stretched and real investment is needed,” he continued.

“The impact on ordinary people through their missing out on a deserved pay rise, and the wider stagnation of public services, should focus the minds of the main two parties here, the Secretary of State and the UK Government.

“This is just the latest of a string of disappointments for the public here. It further highlights the urgent need for a package of legislation to be brought forward by the two governments in an attempt to clear the decks to allow power-sharing to be restored.

“Ultimately, the power and potential of devolution lies in its ability to deliver for the needs of all our people.

McNulty added, “Yet as the months roll by and the lack of delivery fails to in any way incentivise the DUP and Sinn Féin to return to the negotiating table, the need for radical action to resolve this unsustainable situation becomes clearer.”

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Posted by Newry Times News on Jul 30 2018. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry