Civil servants could stage strike

Civil servants were involved in 10 months of industrial action last year

About 20,000 civil servants in Northern Ireland are being consulted about possible strike action in the new year.

Public service union Nipsa said the move followed a government pay offer giving most people a 0.2% salary rise.

The union described the offer as "insulting" and said the government was breaching the terms of a settlement of a 40-week long pay dispute in 2004.

John Corey of Nipsa said members were very angry about the pay regime which he described as "draconian".

"We are currently consulting with all civil service staff about the pay offer received, which would give the majority of staff only a 0.2% increase in rates of pay this year," he said.

"It is clear from the feedback from branches that members are extremely angry about this pay offer and are demanding that the union takes strong action to stop this disgraceful treatment of civil servants."

Nipsa accused ministers of discriminatory treatment of the Northern Ireland Civil Service compared with other public servants in Britain.

The union said an agreement approved by former secretary of state Paul Murphy committed the government to negotiating pay increases in 2005 that took into account the outcome of three separate exercises.

Many civil servants work at Stormont

These included a survey of civil service pay rates in the rest of the UK, a review of the last dispute undertaken by Sir Neil McIntosh from Scotland and an equal pay audit.

The union said the survey of UK pay rates confirmed that Northern Ireland civil servants should receive "substantial increases" in rates of pay immediately.

Nipsa's executive committee has recommended all-out strike action and will be consulting with branches until 9 December.

Nipsa added in a statement: "If there is no resolution of the dispute and there is strong backing from union branches for action, the union confirmed that a full strike ballot of all members would take place early in January 2006."

In September 2004, civil servants in Northern Ireland accepted a pay officer from the government, narrowly voting against an all-out strike.

It ended 10 months of industrial action which caused widespread disruption to the workings of government.