NIPSA currently has 3 Deputy General Secretaries, Maria Morgan, Patrick Mulholland and Antoinette McMillen.

The Unionist Government set up six Ministries (Finance, Home Affairs, Education, Agriculture, Commerce and Labour) and a Prime Minister's Office.

It essentially mirrored the set-up in Great Britain, with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance becoming the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

[3] The Government eventually set up a Civil Service Representative Council which was a shadow of the Whitley model campaigned for by the AECS.

It organised 64 branches across Northern Ireland, and although most remained geographically based a significant number retained a specialised nature, (e.g. telephonists and cleaners).

[5] The NICSA, AECS and Civil Service Association merged in 1971 to become NIPSA, with Brendan Harkin as its first General Secretary.

Separately NIPSA is divided between two distinct sections, the Civil Service Group and the Public Officers’ Group, the former catering for those employed on NICS terms and conditions and the latter for employees of Health & Social Care Trusts, Education and Library Boards, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and several other bodies.

Its conference was held on the same day and its executive committee elected in a similar manner to that of the Civil Service Group.

[11] NIPSA is involved in a wide spectrum of campaigns, ranging from domestic issues such as encouraging the non-payment of water charges to international problems like Justice for Colombia and Palestine through its Global Solidarity Committee.