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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · 6d

It’s a privilege to have been appointed to ACAS Council. I look forward working fellow Council members and the brilliant team of dedicated public servants at ACAS to help make the world of work a better, more productive place for employees and employers.

www.gov.uk/government/n...

Ministers confirm appointment of new Acas Council members

Nicola Smith and Dave Penman have been appointed by ministers as worker members of the Acas Council.

www.gov.uk

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · 9d

The songs of @deaconbluemusic have been the soundtrack to my adult life. From the first mesmerising performance at the Black Isle show in ‘87 to the Big Day, Barras, Fruit Market, Hammersmith, Royal Albert Hall and now Wembley, All the more special to share with my 8 year old.

Photo from Deacon Blue concert at Wembley, October 2025

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · 12d

If we want public services to succeed, they need to be able to attract and retain the best talent.

Looking forward to discussing pay and pension reform at our joint fringe meeting with @instituteforgovernment.org.uk at #Lab25

Graphic card with details of FDA fringe event at Labour Party conference on public sector pay and pension.

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · 29d

As I told @listentotimesradio.bsky.social, the premise that the civil service isn’t impartial because its inclusive and doesn’t discriminate against the LGBT+ community doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

When does a commitment to treat people equally become political?

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · 29d

Do Reform UK really think surrounding ministers with believers, people who will only reinforce their ideas, is the best way to govern? Rather than a minister being challenged by evidence from civil servants.

Last night on @listentotimesradio.bsky.social I discussed Reform UK's civil service "plan"

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 12

As I told @nickferrarilbc.bsky.social, are Reform UK really saying that their government would come in and sack 20,000 civil servants and recruit 20,000 more and test them for their 'belief' in Reform policies?

This is a completely impractical way to think about complex policy issues.

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 10

A government in a hurry just pressed the pause button across a range of significant policy areas. If delivery is the key, stability is one of the best ways to deliver it.

My latest column for @civilserviceworld.bsky.social

www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

If delivery is the government's focus, stability is one of the best ways to deliver it

What began as a week focused on delivery ended with a major cabinet reshuffle. But ministers need time to get up to speed and for every new appoint...

www.civilserviceworld.com

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 10

The FDA's grown by over 60% in the past 10 years - that's down to our reps and members.

@paulnowaktuc.bsky.social can't support them and do what he does best, represent working people across the country, if running for election every 5 years. That won't grow the movement, it'll paralyse it.

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 10

Great to speak to @listentotimesradio.bsky.social about union's relationship with govt last night. We try to influence govt to do what we think is in the best interest of working people & the country. At times, govt will make decisions that disappoint us, and we have to be grown up about that.

Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 7

We need an independent process for holding those in political office to account for their conduct and to bolster the statutory footing of our politically impartial civil service.

congress.tuc.org.uk/motion-33-st...

Motion 33 Standards in government – TUC Congress Motions

congress.tuc.org.uk

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 7

The issue at hand is not when ministers or the Prime Minister act with integrity - taking responsibility for their actions, even when they’ve made an honest mistake - but what happens when they don’t.

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 7

We’ve just seen a weekend of high political drama, which meant our motion at TUC Congress 2025 on standards in government was more prescient than expected.

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 1

That’s why we believe a strengthened independent pay review process - for the whole of the service, not just senior ranks - would stand the best chance of resisting the short termism and political intervention that we’ve witnessed for decades. (3/3)

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 1

but it's eye popping when looking at senior leadership roles managing billions in budgets and tens of thousands of staff, or for specialist skills. Politicians in successive govts have always baulked at addressing this - focussing on narrow & immediate political imperatives. (2/3)

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 1

Good to see @pjtheeconomist.bsky.social address an issue that successive govt’s have chosen to ignore. Pay in the civil service is uncompetitive across the spectrum of grades, roles and locations. (1/3)
www.thetimes.com/business-mon...

We need fat cats in the public sector if we want the best policy

Public sector pay is a fraction of what similar private sector roles command

www.thetimes.com

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 1

The civil service cannot publicly defend itself, that is the role of elected ministers. Time for them to step up to the plate. 5/5

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 1

The civil service cannot be isolated from legitimate public interest or criticism, but what we are seeing is the constant drip feeding of stories, designed to undermine individuals and the service as a whole. This will do nothing to attract the best talent from outside the service. 4/5

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 1

Those taking senior roles in the civil service already take a pay cut if they join from the private sector. They do it because they’re committed to public service and want to make a contribution to their country – the very ethos of public service. 3/5

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 1

Jayne Brady runs an organisation of 20,000+ people supporting an elected govt. All of the evidence shows that roles at this level are paid significantly more in the private sector, where pay and pension arrangements are routinely far more generous for senior staff. 2/5

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Sep 1

What you won’t get from this article is that the head of the NICS got the same pay rise as the rest of the civil service – negotiated by trade unions – or that the most senior staff have exactly the same pension scheme as the rest of the civil service. 1/5

Sam McBride @sjamcbride.bsky.social · Sep 1

Despite failing to reform the floundering NI Civil Service, its boss, Jayne Brady, has seen her salary and pension contributions rocket £30,000 in just one year for a "satisfactory" performance - and no one will say who approved it.

Head of NI Civil Service sees salary and pension rise by £30k in year

Stormont’s top civil servant has seen her salary and pension payments hiked by £30,000 in a single year due to “satisfactory” performance — but the Civil Service won’t say who made that decision.

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Aug 19

The story conflates % increases in rates with actual numbers without context of staff numbers, and uses partial reporting to extrapolate across the service. Such robust journalism.

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Aug 19

Good to see Steerpike‘s commitment to recycling old junk. Civil service has the lowest absence rates in the public sector & last year of full stats showed a fall in rates.

The Spectator @thespectator1828.bsky.social · Aug 18

Revealed: Mental health claims see Foreign Office absences soar

✍️ Steerpike

www.spectator.co.uk/article/reve...

Revealed: Mental health claims see Foreign Office absences soar

Back to the UK’s bloated civil service. As if the government didn’t have enough on its plate trying to slash Whitehall red tape, the number of sick days taken by civil servants won’t help Sir Keir…

www.spectator.co.uk

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Aug 6

As I told @kateemccann.bsky.social the civil service has the lowest sickness rates in the public sector & the rates dropped last year. There is no evidence to back up accusations of laziness. Most civil servants deal with the public which can lead to higher rates of short term illness.

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Reposted by Dave Penman

FDA Union @fdaunion.bsky.social · Aug 2

"The civil service does have a real and long documented problem with attracting working class talent".

Speaking to Times Radio FDA National Officer Robert Eagleton discussed planned changes to the civil service summer internship.

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Dave Penman @fdagensec.bsky.social · Aug 1

The civil service has made a lot of progress in improving its diversity, but as I told @shelaghfogarty.bsky.social it has further to go, particularly on socioeconomic backgrounds.

That requires a range of tactics, these changes to the summer internship programme aren't enough in isolation.

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