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Thu 9th September
Speaking in the Commons on the Superannuation Bill she said: “There are good and compelling arguments for public sector reform. However, we need to ensure protection for some of the lowest-paid and longest-serving public sector workers. Lower-paid staff should not be the victims of departmental cuts or of what is proposed in this Bill.
“There is still an urgent need to sustain jobs in the public sector and to make provision for new entrants into the civil service. Reform must always be tempered by the principles of social justice and fairness and by what is in the best interest of the public. We must not undermine the basis of the existing economy.
“As a Minister in Northern Ireland I had responsibility for some of the lowest-paid civil and public servants in Northern Ireland. Many of them were women, many worked part time and many were vulnerable. Why should such people be held responsible for the present situation? Why should they be the victims of this legislation? Why should they be susceptible to the loss of their jobs?
We must also recognise that, although we are in the midst of an economic downturn and facing severe budgetary cuts, there is still a need to protect front-line services and the vulnerable and disadvantaged. Many civil servants, particularly those in the lower grades, feel that their jobs are under threat.
“It is important that Parliament defends the roles and rights of civil and public servants, particularly those in the lower-paid grades. It is important that proper agreements should be reached with the civil service staff and that those agreements recognise the accrued statutory rights held by many of them. The agreements should also be fair to new entrants to the service.
“We should follow the road of proper negotiation, rather than that of unilateral imposition. I have learned over the past few weeks that some people believe that the coalition Government are less interested in listening to the views of those who represent the stakeholders.
“The government seems anxious to depart from negotiation, even though it has always been the standard bearer for industrial relations, and to move to imposition. We in the SDLP are firmly of the opinion that the Bill should be withdrawn, as it is not in the best interests of junior and lower-paid civil servants.”
Email
m.ritchie@sdlp.ie
Tel 028 4461 2882
Tel 028 90 42 1837
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