Nipsa has been involved in strike action since December

Civil servants in Northern Ireland have accepted a pay offer from the government, voting narrowly against an all-out strike.

The public service union, Nipsa, announced on Monday that it has decided to call off industrial action, which has lasted 40 weeks.

Union leaders had urged members to reject the government offer and back strike action.

But the civil servants rejected that and their decision marks the end of 10 months' industrial action which led to widespread disruption to the workings of government.

In August, Northern Ireland Finance Minister Ian Pearson made a final "take it or leave it" 16-month offer, backdated to 1 April, which, he said would add 4.65% to the civil service wage bill and mean pay rises of from 2% and over 8% for some.

Our fight to secure fair pay for civil servants will continue John Corey Nipsa General Secretary

The Nipsa executive put the offer out to three weeks' consultation among members with a recommendation for rejection and urged the province's 26,000 civil servants to consider all-out strike action as the next step in their campaign.

The union revealed on Monday that members had voted by the narrow majority of 51.4% against an all-out strike and the union was "reluctantly accepting" the offer.

General Secretary John Corey put the government on notice, warning that if ministers failed to take action in the next 10 months to restore fair rates of pay for civil servants in the province, it would be balloting members again on strike action.

"No civil servant considers the 16 month pay deal to be fair or reasonable. Our fight to secure fair pay for civil servants will continue. This is no more then the end of Round 1," Mr Corey said.

"Round 2 starts immediately. Negotiations for pay increases for 2005 will have to be completed within the next 10 months and if these do not restore fair rates of pay for civil servants then we will definitely be balloting again for an all out strike."

The Northern Ireland direct rule ministers were accused of "gross mishandling" of the lengthy dispute, which Mr Corey said had created "an angry, demoralised and demotivated civil service".

'Return to normal'

He added: "This severe damage to the civil service will not be repaired until either direct rule ministers or a devolved administration restore the cuts in civil service pay rates that have been imposed in the last two years."

Meanwhile, a Government spokesperson acknowledged Nipsa's decision and said arrangements would be put in place to apply the increases to pay as quickly as possible.

"It is hoped that public services can return to normal as a matter of urgency," the spokesperson said.

"Management side will negotiate as constructively as possible in the context of 2005 to address the issues which remain of concern to Nipsa."

Nipsa has been involved in strike action since December over what they said was the government's refusal to give civil service staff any cost of living increases in rates of pay since April last year.

The union says all workers will return to work on Tuesday.

Workers will be able to take on extra hours for over time, however solving the backlog of work encountered because of the dispute is a management problem and not the union's, a spokesman pointed out.