Debate contribution: Public-sector Pay

Debate contribution by Mr David Honeyford on 4 March 2024.

MLA

Mr David Honeyford

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

4 March 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Public-sector Pay

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4254732

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I echo the comments that have been made. I start by acknowledging the tremendous dedication and hard work that has been exhibited by public-sector workers, especially during the past seven years, when, for five of those, the Assembly did not sit. I come to the debate as the Alliance Party's spokesperson on the economy to support the motion. To grow, the economy needs strong, vibrant public services. Unfortunately, the damage that has been done to public services, the image of this part of the island for inward investment and the lack of stability in this place has haemorrhaged confidence for those looking in. Recently, I have asked the Minister for the Economy and the Minister for Communities about reform for Invest NI and Sport NI respectively. Both of their Departments have a chequered recent past. While raising the reform issue there, I made it clear that, in both cases, we have some really talented individuals working in those bodies. Unfortunately, it is not them who are causing the problems; it is the complete lack of leadership, direction and focus. The responsibility for that starts in the Chamber. Life for everyone in society has challenges. Life is not a straightforward path. It takes direction. There is always a turn and a twist, and it takes energy to keep moving forward. I use the analogy of an escalator in one of our shopping centres. All aspects of life can feel like walking up the downward escalator. When parties here have walked away and collapsed this place, everything here in the Assembly stops, but when you stop on the escalator that is going down, and you think that you are standing still and pausing the institutions, in reality, life everywhere else goes on. You automatically move backwards. When you eventually try to start up again, you start from further back, while the rest of the world has moved on. That is true of public-sector workers and their pay and also, really importantly — I think that this point needs to be stressed — their working conditions, the pressure that they are put under and have to work in, and the services that they are expected to deliver. Fundamentally, this is about making public-sector workers feel valued. When parties here choose to take their ball and walk off the pitch, there are far-reaching consequences. The financial cost is being paid by public-sector workers. I come from business. In business, your employees are your first customers. After all, if they cannot be positive about the business that they work in, why should anybody else? That applies to Departments too. Public-sector workers are their first customers. If you want first-class public services, you need to show the people who provide those services that they are valued. It is obvious, yet incredible, that we think that pay can be regarded as an afterthought. The cost of the Assembly suspension will be felt this year and every year as the gap grows between pay here and in other regions of the UK — as has already been said about pay for nurses and everyone else — and the massive difference that is now emerging between here and the South. Suspension can never happen again. I echo the comments of my colleague Eóin Tennyson about Sinn Féin's just voting against that reform and preventing that from happening again. It is the Alliance Party that has consistently called for structural reform. We continually lead on that debate. Genuinely, we are thankful to the SDLP for joining us on that. We welcome that move. We can work together in that direction. Let us be honest: suspensions of the Assembly have been happening since 1998. The House must ensure that we collectively do all that we can to reform these institutions and bring them up to date with the reality of life in Northern Ireland in 2024.

We acknowledge the tremendous dedication and hard work exhibited by our public-sector workers, and we urge the Minister of Finance to make a statement to the Assembly once these negotiations have concluded or by the end of the financial year. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that public-sector workers receive the equitable pay that they deserve, and we must act with urgency to make that a reality.

713 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:43 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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