The man who represented the Island's 2,500 public sector manual workers in recent pay negotiations says both sides won in the two-year deal.

Eric Holmes says a ?225 one-off payment for last year was around 60 per cent of what an average worker could have expected, if the 1.5 per cent civil service agreement had been applied.

But the 18p an hour increase for all grades for this year will be more beneficial, particulary for those at the lower end of the scale.

Mr Holmes says the fact the one-off payment will be included in the vast majority of Christmas pay packets had a bearing on the deal being accepted, as did last week's overwhelming rejection of a proposed pay freeze for 2010: