WIREDGOV

500 age discrimination claims over pay have been lodged by PCS in the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Courts Service it was announced today.

The move is part of the union’s campaign for fair pay in civil and public services and against the government’s policy of capping public sector pay, which is leading to pay cuts and pay freezes.

It comes just days before a one day strike over pay involving 260,000 civil and public servants across the UK on Monday 10 November.

The MoJ imposed a pay system last year which the union maintains discriminates against younger members of the workforce as it can take over ten years for staff members to reach the top of their pay scale.

A typical example is a 29 year old supervisor, who has worked at Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court for 12 years and is paid £17,876.

The number of years it will take her to progress to the top of her pay scale and reach the rate for the job is still undefined, but is expected to take well over five years.

The union believes this amount of time breaches age discrimination law, drives down wages and morale.

The cases in the MoJ highlight the double disadvantage faced by public servants working for the civil service.

Unlike other parts of the public sector, ‘progression’, or moving from the bottom to the top of a pay scale is included in the government’s pay cap along with cost of living increases.

This means that there is less money available to fund basic pay increases and movement up pay scales.

Elsewhere in the civil service this double disadvantage has led to 40,000 long serving staff working in Jobcentres, benefits and pension receiving no pay rise whatsoever because they are at the top of their pay scale, the same is happening to a third of staff working for the Identity and Passport Service.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: “The imposed pay system in the MoJ is not only discriminatory but illustrates the double disadvantage that those working for the civil service face. The finances of low paid civil and public servants and their families are being eroded by the government’s pay cap and its refusal to treat them the same as the rest of the public sector.

"It is ludicrous that it could take over a decade for someone to get to the top of their pay scale and that long serving staff should be penalised by getting no pay rise whatsoever.

 

"It is ludicrous that it could take over a decade for someone to get to the top of their pay scale and that long serving staff should be penalised by getting no pay rise whatsoever.

"The government must act positively to address the concerns of its own workforce and resolve the dispute which has led to next Monday’s strike."