This would enable pay comparisons for these roles across private and public enterprises to be based on evidence.

The government had tried to use highly-selective comparisons to make a case for civil service pay being inflated – but this was not the experience of members in both the private and public sector, said Phil Brown (Met Office).

Given that the government says the UK economy needs specialist skills in a range of areas including nuclear, scientific and engineering, it is in the government’s interest that pay comparisons are accurate and evidence based.

“Met Office members have been involved in a long-running dispute over pay both in terms of overall levels and gender equality,” Brown explained.

“We’ve encouraged our members to contact their MPs about this. A number of stock replies have been received from science minister Jo Johnson.

“These boil down to two statements: average public sector pay is competitive against average private sector pay, and civil service pay is competitive when pensions are taken into account. Neither of these statements is backed up with anything that could remotely be described as evidence.”

Delegates agreed and backed the motion.