COUNTY managers and assistant secretaries of Departments are the main losers in the Buckley report.
County managers are expected to spearhead the recently-announced local government reform programme, while assistant secretaries have been charged with carrying out the Strategic Management Initiative in the Civil Service. Both expected their key role to be recognised in pay terms.
County managers will receive increases averaging only 1.5 per cent and assistant county managers will receive no increase in basic pay. However, both are eligible for performance-related pay up to 15 per cent.
Assistant secretaries are also being offered no increase in basic pay and a 15 per cent pay-related bonus. As with local authority managers, pay-related bonuses will not count towards fringe benefits, such as pension entitlements.
No comment was available from the Association for Assistant Secretaries last night, but they are known to be disappointed. In the Gleeson report four years ago, they received an increase of 1.2 per cent, while Department secretaries received between 17 per cent and 24 per cent. They had hoped to make up some lost ground this time, possibly based on the fact that the chairman of the review, Mr Michael Buckley, was himself an assistant secretary.
Mr Peter McLoone, the general secretary of IMPACT, issued a statement on behalf of county managers and assistant managers last night.
"I expect there will be bitter disappointment", he said. "It was expected that there would be some recognition of the role managers will have to play in implementing the huge body of reform proposed by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, recently.
"These recommendations won't be good for motivating managers. In terms of the local authority system, they make no sense at all."
On performance-related pay, Mr McLoone said: "It starts from too low a base. It will take managers a considerable time to catch up with other groups. It will not help attract the calibre of candidate needed. These are no longer permanent and pensionable posts. Managers will have fixed-term contracts in high-risk situations where performance is what it's all about."
However, Mr McLoone welcomed the 15 per cent increase for chief executive officers of health boards. He said it was belated recognition of the major management changes taking place in the sector.
The reaction of unions representing lower-grade civil servants was muted last night. As one senior trade unionist put it, many of his members with long service had received increases of 8 per cent or more under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work, while most categories in the Buckley report were to receive around 3 per cent.