Calls to reform civil service pay

Published on 23/12/2009 21:26

OPPOSITION parties yesterday demanded the reform of Whitehall's bonus culture, after research revealed civil servants had shared payouts worth almost £130 million last year.

The Tories said bonuses should go to civil servants who save taxpayers money; the Lib Dems described the figures as "insensitive" and said government workers should not be immune from the effects of the recession.

Analysis of parliamentary questions and departmental accounts found the bonus pot for 2008-09 totalled 129,393,139.50 on performance-related pay for government workers. Some mandarins enjoyed payouts of almost 50,000 – twice the threshold of Chancellor Alistair Darling's "bonus tax" on bankers.