FDA Union

FDA reps in Dstl awarded the Group Impact Award 2025 - FDA Katherine Hutchinson speaks to the winners of the Group Impact Award 2025: FDA reps Gareth Conway, Karen Craddock, Matt Gibb and Simon Botting at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

Hear about the impressive work being done by the winners of the 2025 Group Impact Award, the FDA reps in Dstl, in this summer's issue of Public Service Magazine.
www.fda.org.uk/news/group-i...

There should be caution over statistics showing increased sickness rates in the civil service which only cover some departments when overall trends show rates have decreased, @fdagensec.bsky.social tells @kateemccann.bsky.social.

The engine room of reform: speeches from ADC 2025 - FDA As well as lively debates on motions, the 2025 Annual Delegate Conference also heard from three main speakers: Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office Georgia Gould, FDA General Secretary Dave P...

"The civil service is hungry for reform.”

Read full reports on the speeches from @fdagensec.bsky.social, @lewisgoodall.com and @georgiagould.bsky.social at ADC 2025 in the latest edition of Public Service Magazine.

www.fda.org.uk/news/speeche...

"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.

Civil service internship scheme now targets only ‘working class’ applicants Rule change for undergraduate summer programme aims to boost social mobility in the Fast Stream

“Improving access to the civil service for those from working class backgrounds is a valuable and necessary aim for any government... However, the civil service must also address broader issues around social mobility" - @fdagensec.bsky.social

www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

Civil service interns must all be working class, government says Internships will only go to students from poorer families in a push to make Whitehall more working class.

"Even if you do manage to get into the civil service, you will not always get on"

@fdagensec.bsky.social on plans to restrict internships to those from working class backgrounds and calls for government to do more to improve social mobility.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Inside UK PLC: Penman discusses recent trip to Warsaw with FCDO - FDA In May, FDA General Secretary Dave Penman visited Warsaw and its embassy to help highlight the significant work of our Foreign, Commonwealth and Development staff, based in countries across the globe.

"The promotion and protection of the UK's interests around the world is often unseen" - @fdagensec.bsky.social on his recent visit to Warsaw and its embassy in the latest edition of Public Service Magazine, highlighting the work of FCDO staff across the globe: www.fda.org.uk/news/inside-...

Structure over speed: Dame Wendy Hall on artificial intelligence in the civil service - FDA Professor Dame Wendy Hall shares how artificial intelligence can assist the civil service, but shouldn’t be treated as a quick fix.

In the summer 2025 edition of Public Service Magazine, hear from Dame Wendy Hall on the challenges and opportunities artificial intelligence presents for the civil service: www.fda.org.uk/news/structu...

I’m pleased that the government have introduced the Ethics and Integrity Commission, but it also an opportunity missed. It’s not the acronym that matters – it’s the powers that go with it.

My piece for @civilserviceworld.bsky.social on the new Ethics and Integrity Commission.

Diversity and Inclusion events | Dods Diversity & Inclusion Cutting-edge conferences are at the core of what we do. Agendas feature diverse speakers offering innovative solutions to today’s most critical wor...

Women into Leadership online has been taking place today, chaired by FDA Vice President Leila Kelly. Find out about other career development events from the FDA in partnership with
Dods, both in-person and online, here: dodsdiversity.com/upcoming-eve...

Speaking today at the unveiling of a plaque in honour of the first female civil servant, Jeanie Nassau Senior @margarethaig.bsky.social says Nassau Senior “spoke truth to power, championing the values we still defend as a civil service union today: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.”

Ethnic Minorities into Leadership online takes place this Thursday 26 June, offering participants practical advice on driving professional development & change.

Register now:
www.dodsdiversity.com/upcoming-eve...

"It can't just be the Civil Service who takes the blame"

@robertmurtagh1.bsky.social told View From Stormont "we need to look beyond just the Civil Service" for why infrastructure projects are not being completed on time as "five out of the last eight years, we haven't had ministers in place"

Civil service strategic workforce plan delay 'disappointing' – union chief Civil servants left 'with more questions than answers' as to how Spending Review cuts are to be implemented, FDA head says

Also absent is the civil service workforce strategy - which was due to be published with the SR but is now due "later this year" - characterised by @fdagensec.bsky.social as a disappointing delay (www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...)

FDA press release: ‘Disappointing’ lack of workforce plan leaves more questions than answers over spending review cuts, says FDA

The Chancellor’s commitments need to match the resources available within public services.

That’s why it’s disappointing to see the strategic workforce plan, promised with today’s Spending Review, won’t be published until later this year. This leaves civil servants with more questions than answers.

A spending round is all about priorities.

You can't just look at one side of the equation on numbers, those have to match what government's commitments are. The civil service needs a clear plan on how it will deliver the government's programme with the resources it's allocated.

FDA National Officer Jane Runeckles joins Fay Jones-Poole, Former Wales Office Minister, and Kirsty Williams, Former Welsh Government Minister, for a Women In Public Affairs Cymru panel discussion looking 'Behind the Scenes of Power' in Wales

"It's nonsensical, it's about a third of the entire pay bill of the civil service"

@fdagensec.bsky.social talks to @lewisgoodall.com about Reform's claim that £7 billion could be saved by cutting DEI initiatives from government.

Nigel Farage's '£7 Billion DEI Savings' Don't Actually Exist The media is widely reporting Reform UK's claims they could save billions by cutting equality schemes. The real figure appears to be around 250 times smaller, reports Josiah Mortimer

“Scaling back EDI staff would likely leave departments exposed to challenges around discrimination... eroding any potential cost savings while making the civil service a much worse place to work.” - FDA Assistant General Secretary Lucille Thirlby
bylinetimes.com/2025/05/30/n...

A relatively small spend on diversity and inclusion helps to make sure the civil service is an organisation that people can be proud of, @fdagensec.bsky.social tells Alex Phillips.

"We don't want to be going year on year trying to eek out a little bit more on a one year pay settlement... What does government think people should be paid for the sorts of jobs that are delivering key public services."

@fdagensec.bsky.social speaks to @lbc.co.uk

FDA recruitment stall at Quarry House in Leeds

Today the FDA held a joint DHSC and DWP information stall at Quarry House in Leeds, speaking with members and non-members about their issues and concerns, including ongoing organisational changes and announced job cuts.

Find out more about how the FDA can support you 👇 fda.org.uk/why-you-shou...

Chloé François-Oatway is presented with the 2025 FDA Wendy Jones Equality Award by Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office Georgia Gould MP at the FDA Annual Delegate Conference 2025.

Chloé François-Oatway is presented with the 2025 FDA Wendy Jones Equality Award for her work as a “true champion of equality”, particularly around reasonable adjustments.

Chloe received the award from Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office Georgia Gould at #FDAADC25

Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office Georgia Gould MP giving a speech to the FDA Annual Delegate Conference 2025.

On Places for Growth, Gould says “London will continue to be the thriving centre but we also want more progression opportunities. I spoke to civil servants in hubs who said… they felt further away and that they couldn’t progress unless they were in London. We need a change in that approach.”

Gould says she can see that “some of the proposals around admin reductions are worrying... but we have a duty to do everything we can... That for me doesn’t have to mean we can’t improve things. I believe we have brilliant people that are stuck in systems that don’t work, we need to change that.”

Georgia Gould says the civil service is “an amazing constitution, but it can get in the way. It’s set up for a slower, less complex world, it’s more hierarchical. Departments are far too siloed when all the challenges we face are deeply complex.” #FDAADC25

Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office Georgia Gould MP gives a speech to the FDA Annual Delegate Conference 2025.

@georgiagould.bsky.social tells #FDAADC25 she wants “to say a personal thank you to civil servants, it’s been a seamless transition and I know all the work that’s gone into making this happen. As a new MP I’ve been so grateful for the support, there’s so much depth of knowledge on every issue.”

Calling for more realistic travel and subsistence rates, a delegate tells #FDAADC25 that the current rates are so low that civil servants are having to stay at hostels when they need to travel for work.

"The new govt has been given a once in a generation majority. It has set itself high ambitions & we all know that there is much to be done to improve public services. It needs a strong, skilled and motivated workforce to deliver them.

"That’s why we need to get on with it”, Penman tells #FDAADC25

"The new government has been given a once in a generation majority. It has set itself high ambitions and we all know that there is much to be done to improve public services. It needs a strong, skilled and motivated workforce to deliver them.

“That’s why we need to get on with it.”