Union to ballot for industrial action among Welsh school inspectors - 3 June 2008

Schools Inspectors in Estyn are being balloted for industrial action by their union, the FDA, in a dispute over pay. Estyn is the body responsible for education and training inspection in Wales. The FDA is the union for senior managers and professionals in the civil service.

Union members rejected a three-year pay offer in an earlier ballot, but this was then imposed.

Paul Neilson, FDA national officer with responsibility for Estyn members, said:
"The imposed offer breaks the existing link between pay and conditions of Estyn staff and those of staff at the National Assembly for Wales, which funds Estyn. Estyn staff are also being put at a disadvantage compared to other public sector workers in Wales.

"Estyn's management has rejected our suggested changes to the pay offer, which could be afforded within Estyn's declared budget. In addition to the immediate detriment to staff, the offer will do nothing to solve Estyn's recruitment and retention problems, which are a cause of serious concern.

"It is widely acknowledged that there has been a long history of poor management-union relations in Estyn, which has been at odds with the good working partnerships enjoyed elsewhere in the public sector in Wales.

"Despite this, we hope that a negotiated settlement can be achieved, even at this late stage."

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, schools inspectors, 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".
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