FDA calls on government to negotiate new deal on civil service redundancy terms

5 July 2010
For immediate release

Responding to media speculation that the government will introduce new legislation to reform civil service redundancy terms (the Civil Service Compensation Scheme), FDA General Secretary Jonathan Baume said:

"The FDA, together with four other unions, reached an agreement in February with the previous government to reform civil service redundancy terms. At that time we said the agreement was a fair compromise which balanced the interests of government seeking efficiencies with the requirement to protect our members when facing redundancy. This was overturned in the courts following legal action by the PCS, which refused to sign up to changes.

"It appears that the coalition government is to bring forward new proposals for reform. The challenge facing both the government and all the unions is to get round the table in meaningful negotiations to end the current uncertainty. The agreement reached in February is still a good deal for everyone. At a time when thousands of civil servants are facing the prospect of redundancy, the last thing they or departments need is uncertainty over the redundancy terms that will apply."

Notes for editors

1. The FDA is the trade union and professional body representing 18,000 of the UK's senior civil and public servants. Our members include policy advisors, senior managers, tax inspectors, economists, statisticians, accountants, special advisers, government lawyers, diplomats, crown prosecutors and NHS managers.

2. Members in HMRC are represented by the Association of Revenue and Customs (ARC), a section of the FDA.

3. The FDA (formerly the First Division Association) should be referred to simply as "The FDA" and can be described as "the senior public servants' union".

4. For further information contact:

• Jonathan Baume, FDA General Secretary, tel: 020 7401 5555 or 07976 951191.
• Oliver Rowe, Communications Manager, tel: 020 7401 5588 or 07590 838696.