TRADE unionists condemned the government today for its plans to cut the redundancy payments of 90,000 civil servants it intends to sack.

The government has announced a new “consultation” on the Civil Service compensation scheme, which solidifies severance terms for workers.

The Prospect union, which has 150,000 members working in public and private sectors, said that the government intends to worsen severance terms before implementing its redundancy plans.

General secretary Mike Clancy said: “As the country faces economic and energy crises, that the government should prioritise seeking to reduce Civil Service redundancy terms says it all.

“Against the backdrop of the announcement to reduce Civil Service headcount by one in five and the repeated refusal of ministers to meet with Prospect and other unions on the issue, we have no confidence that this ‘consultation’ is being carried out in good faith.

“No other employer, public or private, would propose reducing redundancy terms at the same time as savage job-loss proposals and do so with the aim of reaching agreement.”

Mr Clancy said the union will be working with others to “oppose detrimental changes to the Civil Service compensation scheme and exploring every route — including industrial and legal ones.”

In May, Brexit Opportunities Minister multimillionaire Jacob Rees-Mogg announced his plan to axe 90,000 Civil Service jobs.

He condemned staff for not returning to their desks when lockdown rules permitted, his criticism accompanied by a photo of empty desks said to have been taken in the Serious Fraud Office.

It was later proved to be the Cabinet Office — and was quickly withdrawn.