Eric Illsley

Labour Party | Barnsley Central

Illsley calls for fairness in civil service pay

Barnsley MP, Eric Illsley, yesterday questioned Tony Blair and his government’s commitment to fairness in the workplace in Prime Minister’s Questions.

At the heart of the matter is the Department of Constitutional Affairs’ proposal to introduce five regional pay ranges which would place staff in Barnsley in the lowest band.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Illsley asked the Prime Minister:
“…Is it not shameful that the Department for Constitutional Affairs has imposed regional pay rates for court staff in this country, which means that Barnsley will be designated to the lowest pay band and designated a low-income area, and court staff in Barnsley will be paid a lower rate than their exact counterparts working in Sheffield, 14 miles way? Alternatively, is my right hon. Friend’s legacy to the country to be one of unfairness in the workplace?”

Eric Illsley and many others in Barnsley have been working hard over recent years to attract inward investment to Barnsley and in particular to encourage public sector bodies to relocate out of London and the South East to Barnsley in accordance with Government policy. It is feared that the DCA proposals would set a dangerous precedent for other public sector bodies and would greatly jeopardise Barnsley’s hopes for future investment.

Mr Illsley commented:
“Placing DCA employees in Barnsley in the lowest regional pay band flies in the face of all our work to promote Barnsley as a favourable place for public sector relocation. Designating Barnsley as a low wage area sends out entirely the wrong signal and is very demoralising for those civil servants already employed in the borough.”
Mr IIlsley, who is supporting the Public and Commercial Services Union campaign on this issue, raised the matter again with Treasury ministers today during questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequor.