'Take it or leave it' pay offer

Nipsa has been involved in strike action since December

The government has made the public service union, Nipsa, what it has called a "take it or leave it" pay deal.

It said the move, announced on Monday, was a bid to end the long-running civil service dispute.

Nipsa said it would have to consult its members before any offer could be accepted.

However, Finance Minister Ian Pearson warned that the revised pay deal could not be increased.

"This cost of living increase is going to cost us 4.65% overall," he said.

"People will see pay rises in their pockets. It is real extra cash - between 2% and over 8% for some.

But there is absolutely nothing in the offer that has been presented to us, either two weeks ago or this revised offer, which addressed these issue of dispute Kieran Bannon Nipsa

"Within the framework of government pay policy in which we all have to operate in, I think that's a fair, if not a pretty good, offer."

Nipsa assistant general secretary Kieran Bannon said the dispute was about the 2003 pay offer, not this year's.

"There has been no increase in rates of pay since 1 April 2002," he said.

"The minister, Mr Gardiner, and senior civil servants 3-4 weeks ago, talked about the 2004 offer which was going to be put on the table would be so generous that it would compensate our members.

"That is very telling in two respects. First of all it admits that our members were badly treated in 2003 and secondly, it also acknowledges that they should be compensated for that.

"But there is absolutely nothing in the offer that has been presented to us, either two weeks ago or this revised offer, which addressed these issue of dispute."

Last week, industrial action was suspended at 15 Northern Ireland MoT centres where workers were on strike since mid May.

However, Nipsa said the dispute would continue.

Nipsa has been involved in strike action since December over what they said was the government's refusal to give civil service staff any cost of living increases in rates of pay since April last year.

The government has imposed a pay package which will add 3.67% to the wage bill of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

However, union officials say that was part of a pre-agreed increment and takes no account of the rise in the cost of living.