FDA attends Irish Congress of Trade Unions Biennial Delegates Conference in Belfast

Building on the FDA’s increased presence in Northern Ireland (NI), this week the FDA’s National Officer for NI Robert Murtagh has been attending the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Biennial Delegates Conference in Belfast, with General Secretary Dave Penman also in attendance as an observer

The FDA moved a motion, ‘Defend Civil Servants and Civil Service Values’, calling on the ICTU to condemn “the use of civil servants as scapegoats for political failure”, and acknowledge the high levels of public trust there is for the Northern Ireland Civil Service, which Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) figures put at over 75%. The motion also notes the high burden placed on the civil service during the 2022 – 2024 period of Northern Ireland Executive collapse. Speaking to the motion, Murtagh told the conference:

“Rather than thanking civil servants for their professionalism and dedication to keeping public services afloat while the institutions were down, we have seen increasing criticism levelled at civil servants from both the press and politicians.

“We will not stand by and allow civil servants and the civil service to be scapegoated for political failure. Any discussion of reform or transformation must go beyond vacuous soundbites referring to a ‘bloated’ civil service or worse a ‘blob.’”

Murtagh continued: “Congress, our members aren’t a blob. They are public service professionals who are simply trying to do their best in a system that is, at best, less than effective, and at worse, totally dysfunctional.

“We need trust between ministers and civil servants. We all want better from our government and as a wider trade union movement, we have always stood up for our public services. This requires politicians and ministers working with civil servants, not attacking them.”