Members across the civil service have been voting in an online ballot on pay offers achieved in local bargaining negotiations.  

This ballot is being conducted as directed by Rule 29 (i) of the Fórsa rulebook, which states “a decision to accept or reject an offer on foot of a claim shall be taken by the members directly affected”. In accordance with this rule, each grade is being balloted separately on the claim and subsequent offers made on behalf of that grade. 

The offers apply to service officers, cleaners, clerical officers, executive officers, administrative officers, and higher executive officers working in the civil service, and is phase one of the overall claims lodged on behalf of those grades in recent months.  
 
The offers include pay increases of 1.25% at the maximum point of each scale and introduces point ‘skips’ within pay scales.  

Last week the civil service divisional executive committee (CSDEC) recommended unanimously that members vote to accept the offers made in phase one of the local bargaining negotiations and proceed to negotiations for phase two in the coming months. 

In a briefing note issued to members who are eligible to vote, deputy general secretary and head of the civil service division Éamonn Donnelly outlined the background and context to the ballot.  

Éamonn underlined the role members had in shaping the claim through motions to union conferences, survey responses, and equivalent grades committees, all of which indicated strongly that members’ preferred approach was to shorten the length of time it takes to progress through a scale and to reward long service.  

He noted that while the skipped points might not be of immediate benefit to many, the offers made in phase one begin the process of shortening the progression through the scale and rewarding long service, while the remainder of the claim will be pursued under the remaining 2% of payroll quantum available after June 2026. Éamonn also made the point that the best way to access phase two discussions in order to complete the overall claim was by adopting the phase one proposals. 

If accepted, members would see the increases backdated to 1st September 2025, the date by which the first phase of local bargaining was due to come into effect. The ballot will conclude at midday today Friday 19th December. 

For more information see our previous article.

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