The Department of Finance (DoF) has announced implementation of the 2022 Pay Award for Northern Ireland Civil Service non-industrial staff.

A formal offer was made to trade unions on 6 January 2023. The challenging financial position has prevented any improvement being made on the formal overall pay offer made to trade unions. Following negotiations, it has not been possible to reach agreement with the recognised civil service trade unions on the overall pay award. 

No decision on the industrial pay award has yet been made as negotiations with industrial unions are continuing about the Department for Infrastructure's Roads Productivity Bonus Scheme.

To ensure non-industrial staff receive their pay increase as soon as possible, the DoF Permanent Secretary has made the decision to proceed to implement the non-industrial pay offer. Non-industrial staff will receive their pay in June.

The 2022 Pay Award is affordable as required by the public sector guidance and will be funded from within existing departmental budgets. The non-industrial pay award will cost around Pound 25m and includes:

1. performance-related progression;
2. bringing up the pay of the lowest paid staff (Administrative Assistant and analogous grades, including Industrial 1 staff) to the Living Wage Foundation rates of Pound 10.90 an hour or Pound 21,053 annually;
3. all eligible other staff to receive a consolidated increase of Pound 552, subject to the detail in the award.