FDA concern at Budget squeeze on departments and public sector pay - 22 March 2006

Commenting on the Budget announcement of 5% cuts to four major departments' budgets for 2008-11 and the limiting of public sector pay rises, FDA general secretary Jonathan Baume said:

"The real cuts in spending budgets of many departments will have a significant impact on their ability to deliver government programmes. They make something of a mockery of the Comprehensive Spending Review process currently underway. We will want early discussions with departments to understand the impact on staff and reward packages.

"Restricting public sector pay will do nothing to ensure that public sector organisations can recruit and retain the best managers, without whom the Government's reform programme could be undermined."

Notes for Editors
1. The FDA is the trade union and professional body representing the UK's 16,000 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. The FDA should be referred to simply as "The FDA" and can be described as "the senior civil and public servants' union" or something similar. We hope you will avoid calling us the 'First Division Association as this is not our name and causes all sorts of confusion with football clubs and the like. Thank you!
3. For further information contact:

  • Jonathan Baume, FDA general secretary, tel. 020 7343 1111 or 07976 951 191.
  • Jessica Stark, FDA head of communications, tel. 020 7343 1120 or 07967 484 441.