Ulster Unionist Economy spokesperson, Mike Nesbitt MLA, has warned urgent action is needed to address falling incomes in the public sector and, in particular, the Civil Service.

Reacting to the latest NISRA (the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency) Employee Earnings survey, Mike said:

“It’s shocking to read that real earnings in the public sector for the year to the end of March 2023 fell by 7.2%. Additionally, public sector earnings have shown no growth for the last 20 odd years.

“There is a looming crisis in the Northern Ireland Civil Service. The average age of civil servants is increasing, recruitment is a struggle and a significant part of the solution is to make the pay more attractive compared to the private sector, where real earnings are rising. This is an issue we cannot continue to ignore.

“Of course, this is not just about civil servants in our devolved ministries. We are losing doctors and nurses, police officers and staff, indeed workers from across the full range of the public sector. We need to recognise their worth and reward them accordingly.”