You will be aware that on Thursday last the Secretary of State set the 2022/23 Budget for NI government departments.
In his statement accompanying the budget, Chris Heaton-Harris chastised the local political parties for what he called a failure to demonstrate prudent fiscal management and went on to significantly criticise them for overspending. When reading the statement, it was difficult not to be reminded of the Tories’ significant fiscal mismanagement that allowed millions to be wasted on failed PPE contracts or the mismanagement that allows the exchequer to lose £3billion in unpaid taxes from the ‘non doms’ who stash their wealth overseas. This fiscally irresponsible Tory government continues to allow energy companies to make vast profits while workers cannot heat their homes.
At a time when the health service here is on its knees, schools are finding it impossible to make ends meet and the Civil Service has circa 3,000 vacant posts, it is impossible to see how our services here could have coped if local ministers had stayed within budget. Now, in the absence of political oversight, the Northern Ireland Office is forcing Permanent Secretaries to make cuts in their departments and in so doing is forcing them to take spending decisions that should remain the preserve of politicians.
In the statement, the Secretary of State claims to recognise the cost-of-living challenges that public sector workers face and then goes on to say that workers will not be getting the pay rise they deserve. He should be ashamed to have to acknowledge that the budget will need to ensure a sufficient increase for some public sector workers to bring them into line with the minimum wage.
Although we do not yet have all the details, it is clear that if this budget is implemented, it will have a hugely detrimental impact on public services. The Secretary of State may claim that the budget is an increase on previous years but, in fact, since 2019/20 the block has been less than the pre-austerity level in 2010/11. The failure of the cash-strapped devolved administration to fix long term strategic problems has not been because politicians here lack financial sense but because they simply do not have the necessary resources. Cutting back further on the already meagre block grant will only store up further problems for the future.
NIPSA is currently awaiting NIO ministers to set the public sector pay remit which will determine the pay for Civil Servants, Teachers, Health workers and others. Within the confines of this budget, that figure could not possibly be one that public sector workers will be able to live with.
NIPSA members in the health service have returned a ballot of 92% in favour of strike action and 97% in favour of action short of strike action. They begin the action short of strike action on 5 December and will be taking strike action in December. I know you will join me in expressing solidarity to them in their struggle for safe staffing and for a fair wage increase.
Negotiations on Civil Service pay are due to begin in the coming weeks and further bulletins will be issued as necessary.
Carmel Gates
General Secretary