Cabinet Office minister Heather Wheeler has issued a grovelling apology to the UK’s 400,000-plus civil servants after a zero was omitted from yesterday’s official pay remit guidance, meaning a derisory 2% annual increase was tabled instead of the intended 20%.
Colleague Jacob Rees-Mogg, known to be a stickler for good grammar and attention to detail, pledged an immediate inquiry into how an inflation-busting pay rise designed as “balm to soothe more than a decade of hurt” could have turned into a PR disaster.
In an early morning tweet today, Wheeler said she took full responsibility for the missing zero and put the error down to a combination of focus on the finer details contained in the remit guidance and the rising cost of printer ink.
She added that new flexibilities allowing departments to offer increased incentives in the interests of recruiting for particular roles would mean that some staff could be in line for 30% pay rises over the next financial year, unless their organisation had already agreed a bespoke multi-year deal.
“Civil servants benefit from a competitive employment offer including access to one of the best pension schemes available, amongst other benefits,” she said.
“In addition to this, our ambition is for the civil service to be the most inclusive employer in the country, offering opportunities and a chance to progress in challenging roles, delivering vital public services across the country.
“Our latest offer demonstrates that Christmas can indeed come in April.”
Prospect deputy general secretary Garry Graham said the 20%-30% offer was the “financial hug” hard pressed officials had been dreaming of as inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index is set to exceed 8% later this year, according to Bank of England projections.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka described the deal as “outrageously good”.
FDA general secretary Dave Penman said the corrected guidance was evidence that ministers really were “in listening mode”.
Rees-Mogg told Civil Service World he hoped that the Cabinet Office’s “full and frank” admission of the flaws in the original pay remit guidance would reassure civil servants of the high regard in which they were held.
He added that his ministerial team was probing the potential wellbeing and efficiency advantages of introducing a four-day working week.
Update on 1 April, 12:00: Congratulations to readers who spotted this news story was an April Fool's Day joke. Civil servants are not, sadly, in line for a much-deserved 20% pay rise.