‘Hidden’ scheme lets 3,000 civil servants pocket double pay rise

THOUSANDS of civil servants will receive a double pay rise because the SNP has refused to abolish ‘hidden’ salary increases costing millions of pounds a year.

The Scottish Government’s Budget allows ‘progression pay’ to continue in the year beginning in April – despite it being abolished in the rest of the UK.

It means civil servants will still be able to move up salary bands on top of any pay rise they receive – so they effectively receive a double boost.

Often, they get to move up the pay grades simply because of the amount of time they have spent in the job.

The payments are in addition to the SNP’s plan to give everyone earning up to £36,500 a 3 per cent pay rise, then 2 per cent for those on up to £80,000 and a maximum of £1,600 for those earning more than that.

It is estimated that around 3,000 civil servants a year benefit from pay progression awards – and they receive an average of £2,000 each.

The UK Government abolished the awards south of the Border because they were ‘antiquated’ and ‘deeply unfair’.

A Scottish Tory spokesman said: ‘This practice no longer exists in the rest of the UK, and Scotland should follow suit.

‘It’s unfair to other public sector workers, and indeed those in the private sector who could only dream of such automatic pay bumps.’

In 2016-17, the most recent year for which detailed information is available, 2,185 Government staff received £4.49million in ‘progression pay’, while 758

‘Unfair to other workers’

at its executive agencies shared £1.46million.

In 2015-16 , 2,339 Government workers received £4.52million, while 825 executive agency staff shared £1.42million.

Those awarded the deals in 2016-17 included 102 staff paid more than £60,000, as well as 295 paid £50,000-£60,000.

Under the initiative, staff are able to progress up their pay band.

Each band has a minimum and maximum level, as well as defined steps in between.

For example, a grade G worker who starts on a salary of £56,560 can see their pay rise in annual increments up to a maximum of £67,670.

The Scottish Government’s pay policy for 2019-20 states that it ‘provides the flexibility for individual employers to use their discretion to reach decisions on pay progression for staff and to consider giving a greater than 3 per cent pay award to the very lowest paid as well as awarding a further 1 per cent to staff who are at the top of their pay scale’.

It says it is the employer’s role to make decisions about pay progression ‘as part of the overall package to deliver an affordable pay settlement which is fair’.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘The pay and reward arrangements represent value for money to the taxpayer.

‘Pay progression is not automatic – it only follows a satisfactory review of performance, and ensures salaries reflect increased knowledge, experience and competence in a job.’