Higher civil servants describe cuts as 'grossly unfair'

The group representing higher civil servants has described today’s pay cut introduced in the Budget as "a brutal and grossly unfair reduction" in the pay of individuals who work hard on behalf of the State.

The Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS) said they have already endured "major salary decreases as a result of Government cuts".

The AHCPS General Secretary, Dave Thomas, said: "In the last 12 months my members have had to endure pay cuts of up to 17% through the introduction of income and pension levies. On top of this, they must now endure a further cut of between 6.3% and 7.9%.

"A single person in the private sector earning a similar salary will have had no change to their net income as a result of this Budget. This is blatantly unfair, and proves that the Government has chosen to selectively penalise public sector workers.

"I will now consult with the AHCPS Executive Committee and other public sector unions to plan the way forward and decide how best to respond to these cuts."