non-REO councils [1] & Combined Authorities, [1] councils that are not subscribed to their Regional Employer Organisation (through whom these briefings are arranged for their member councils). Unite's local government members will stage targeted industrial action at councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in March, after rejecting a 1.75 per cent pay offer in a ballot of more than 300 local authorities. Unite acting national officer for local government Graham McNabsaid: Our local government members have been the bedrock that allowed public services to function smoothly during the pandemic against a background of more than a decade of cuts to local council budgets. However, they believe their offer is fair to employees, given the wider economic backdrop.. Published. With effect from 1 April 2022, an increase of 1,925 on all NJC pay points 1 and above. MPs will get a 2,212 pay rise on 1 April, seeing an MP's basic salary go up to 84,144 a year. The National Employers also responded on a number of other issues raised in the NJC trade unions pay claim including offering an extra days annual leave for all staff.. Given that the scenario above will not come to pass, the National Employers have few opportunities to consider anything other than a pay award that applies to the pay spine as currently configured. The U.K. government can afford to give the country's 5.5 million public-sector workers an inflation-busting pay rise, according to its own official forecasts. Agreement has been reached on rates of pay applicable from 1 April 2021. 01 August 2022 By Megan . A redesign of local government's pay spine is 'inevitable,' employers have admitted privately. The employers have also sought reassurance from the unions that they will engage constructively and agree from the outset to be bound by the eventual outcome, in accordance with the provisions of the NJCs Constitution. According to the MoJ, paying those working in the judiciary a 3.5% pay rise would cost 23 million based on 2022/23 pay roll costs. Anyone wishing to attend this briefing should email harry.honnor@local.gov.uk, [2] For organisations that are subscribers to Employer Link | Local Government Association, Local Government Association company number 11177145, Membership and services for councils and councillors, LGA principal advisers and regional teams, Licences, regulations and trading standards, The unions are currently consulting their members on the 2023 pay claim, forecasts from the Low Pay Commission (LPC), Employer Link | Local Government Association. Richard Lloyd, chairman of Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), which sets salaries, said: "This is the first increase in pay for MPs in two years and follows the average of increases across the public sector last year. When salary arrears are paid to ex-employees who were in the LGPS, the employer must inform its local LGPS fund. The Government has announced a pay rise for around 2.5 million public sector workers. Unison calls for above-inflation pay rise for public sector . Local government service group members include employees from councils, schools, further education and the Food Standards Agency. MPs' pay was frozen last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. As well as dealing with increased workloads because of austerity cuts, staff have been further stretched by the challenges of the pandemic and spiralling day-to-day costs, the three say. MPs who have jobs as ministers get paid additional salaries - including the prime minister, who is entitled to an extra 79,286 this financial year. 0800 0 857 857, Copyright 2023 Privacy policy The problem for the NJC is caused less by in-year comparisons but more the practicalities of when the government announces the increase to the NLW for each forthcoming April (usually in October / November) and the NJCs negotiating timescales, which, as is currently evident, almost always run past the usual implementation date of 1 April due to the timing of the local government funding settlement, trade unions pay claim, the consultation process and sometimes the electoral timetable. The three unionssaystaff working in local government have seen an average of 27.5% wiped from the value of their pay since 2010, the unions say. On 1 April 2022, employees, employers and the self-employed will all pay 1.25p more in the . In terms of potential costs, you will understand that the National Employers can only ever make estimates based on the national paybill. Members of the National Employers Side The terms of that agreement include the following: NALC has produced updatedpay scales(must be logged in to view)and will update its annual leave policy template to reflect these changes shortly. with effect from 1 April 2022, an increase of 4.04 per cent on all allowances. (to be shared with HR Director and Finance Director) The squeeze on household budgets has a pronounced effect oncouncil workers, many of whom are in low-paid roles and are currently paid little more than the minimum wage, say unions. Local government pay offer accepted by unions Wednesday, 02 November 2022 The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has been notified by the Local Government Association (LGA). The recognised Unions (GMB, Unison & Unite) submitted a pay claim for: An increase of RPI + 2% on all spinal column points. Consideration of a flat rate increase to hourly rates of pay in order to bring the minimum rate up to 15 per hour within two years. UNISON, GMB and Unite make up the trade union side of the national joint council (NJC) that negotiates pay for the majority of local government workers. 4 0 obj Employers will need to amend the CARE and final pay figures (if the ex-employee has pre-April 2014 LGPS membership) accordingly. With real inflation (RPI) running at over 12 per cent, the Employers pay offer of 1,925 for local government workers is another real terms pay cut, on all pay spines. The new pay rates are attached at Annex 1. Equality matters. . Of course, this scenario is completely unworkable from the point of view of operating a pay structure; would severely compromise managerial hierarchies and would take up the majority of the budget councils have put aside for pay which we know from the March briefings is in the region of 2 per cent for this year. The key features of the 2022-23 Public Sector Pay Policy are: setting a guaranteed wage floor of 10.50 per hour, going beyond the current real Living Wage rate of 9.90; providing a guaranteed cash underpin of 775 for public sector workers who earn 25,000 or less; providing a basic pay increase of up to 700 for those public sector . Council employees have been offered a pay increase of 1,925 from 1 April 2022. Following the announcement of a pay offer for council employees, Chair of the National Employers for local government services, Cllr Sian Goding, said: Council employees have been offered a pay increase of 1,925 from 1 April 2022. If requested by an ex-employee to do so, we recommend that employers should pay any monies due to that employee from 1 April 2021 to the employees last day of employment. For the lowest paid (currently earning 20,441 per annum), the offer equates to an increase of 9.42 per cent this year; meaning their pay will have increased by 4,033 (22.0 per cent) over the two years since April 2021.". Arrangements have been made for councils to be consulted on the unions claim at regional pay briefings, to be held online between 6 and 15 February (see below). "For the lowest paid (currently earning 20,441 per annum), the offer equates to an increase of 9.42. More than 80 per cent of Unite's 70,000 members, who voted in nearly 400 separate ballots, were . As well as seeking views on the unions pay claim, the briefings will build on the themes set out previously in the employer circular dated 2 February, which itself was the basis for the regional briefings held in March. Employers Secretary Employers are encouraged to implement this pay award as swiftly as possible. The wages of public sector workers including teachers, police officers and civil servants are to rise after Rishi Sunak announced that a pay freeze imposed last year would end in April 2022. We are hopeful this situation can be quickly resolved by the unions involved but, in the meantime, local employers may wish to consider how they communicate to their support staff employees what the NJC deal means for them in percentage terms and that the pay increase (and backpay) will be landing in their bank accounts in time for Christmas. Now that the 2022 local government pay negotiations have been concluded, with pay deals being achieved without the prospect of national industrial action, I wanted to share some thoughts on this years process and to look ahead to what is going to be another very challenging pay round in 2023. Tel: 020 7664 3000info@local.gov.uk, Trade Union Secretaries topic. The National Joint Council for local government services negotiates the pay, terms and conditions of staff in local authorities. The National Employers are acutely aware of the additional pressure this years offer will place on already hard-pressed council finances, as it would need to be paid for from existing budgets. This ended the one-year public sector pay freeze, that had been put in place in the 2020/21 Spending . In addition, the National Joint Council (NJC) has agreed that from 1 April 2023, all employees covered by this National Agreement, regardless of their current leave entitlement or length of service, will receive a permanent increase of one day (pro rata for part-timers) to their annual leave entitlement. (the standard working week). Speaking of the pay deal, UNISON national secretary for local government Mike Short said: UNISON members voted clearly to accept this pay offer, and it will come as a welcome relief to many of our members particularly those who are lower-paid that it has been agreed before the holiday period. 27 Jul 2021. The decision to reject the offer was. Members of the National Employers Side 3 0 obj About 5.7 million people are employed in the public sector in the UK. The total increase to the national paybill resulting from this offer would be 1.093bn (6.42 per cent). Local Government Association company number 11177145, Membership and services for councils and councillors, LGA principal advisers and regional teams, Licences, regulations and trading standards, LGA responds to Public Accounts Committee report on workforce skills, More news in this For the lowest paid (currently earning 18,333 per annum), the offer equates to an increase of 10.5 per cent. UNISON is demanding fair pay for council and school workers, UNISON, UNISON Centre, 130 Euston Road, London NW1 2AY. By continuing to use our website you are consenting to their use. Please share this letter and subsequent updates on pay, with your colleagues in HR and Finance, and with elected members, as appropriate. 29 November 2022 Town hall chiefs have reluctantly accepted a 1,925 pay increase for 2022 - a lower percentage increase than most staff. The three local government unions (UNISON, GMB and Unite) are expected to lodge their pay claim for 2022-23 at the end of this month, which you will note will be almost two months beyond the usual pay award implementation date of 1 April. We use cookies on our website to ensure you find the information you need in the simplest way. Under the latest offer announced by Scottish Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville earlier this month, teachers earning up to 80,000 would have a 6% pay rise from April 2022, and then . endobj Someone on 50,000 will pay 464 more. above the maximum of the pay spine but graded below deputy chief officer (in accordance with Green Book Part 2 Para 5.41) With effect from 1 April 2023, an increase of 3.88 per cent on all allowances (as listed in the 2022 NJC pay agreement circular dated 1 November 2022) In response to other elements of your claim: However most health unions in the principality have "narrowly" accepted an average pay rise of more than 7% for 2022/23. The NJC pay award will not resolve this dispute. As we have seen in previous years, these are likely to be revised again before pay is settled for 2023-4. The NJC has also agreed to enter into discussions on homeworking policies, mental health support and maternity etc leave. UNISON head of local government Mike Shortsaid: If the pandemic showed anything, it was that council workers provide invaluable services to keep communities safe. Although the NJC has reached an agreement on pay, this in itself does not prevent NEU pursuing industrial action in the interests of its members who are school support staff. When, back in July, the recently agreed national pay deal for local government services was tabled as a final offer to the unions, some councils expressed surprise at its structure. Around 2.5 million UK workers will receive a pay rise, as the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage increase on 1 April. Your consultative ballot:OPENS: 22/08/22CLOSES: 14/10/22. On 27 October 2021, the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 announced that public sector workers would receive "fair and affordable" pay rises across the 2022/23 to 2024/25 Spending Review period. Notwithstanding the retention and morale issues this would create, it could also lead to huge equal pay challenges in many areas. Naomi CookeAddress for correspondence This amount of headroom may appear, on the face of it, to provide some comfort with regard to the NLW. However, they are not, and never have been, intended to provide the employers with a negotiating mandate. 22/03/2022. Announcing a full and final pay offer for council employees, Chair of the National Employers for local government services, Cllr Sian Goding, said: Council employees have been offered a pay increase of at least 1,925 from 1 April 2023. What's he waiting for? But they cant run services on thinair. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. To: Chief Executives in England, Wales and N Ireland The deal will see hundreds of thousands staff paid an extra 1,925 this year. School support staff employed on NJC conditions are of course represented in national pay negotiations by UNISON, GMB and Unite. Paragraph 28(3) Nursery Staffs in Educational Establishments - Special Educational Needs Allowance, Paragraph 28(14) Laboratory / Workshop Technicians. This includes the hourly rate, as per the agreement with NALC, for the annual salary divided by 52 divided by 37. Unite announces industrial action over pay. It is vital that every council is represented at these meetings by senior elected members and senior officers. City and Guilds Science Laboratory Technicians Certificate Allowance: City and Guilds Laboratory Technicians Advanced Certificate Allowance: Paragraph 32 London Weighting and Fringe Area Allowances Per Annum, Paragraph 35 Standby Duty Allowance - Social Workers (1)(a)(i) Allowance - Per Session, FORMER MANUAL WORKER AGREEMENT (WHITE BOOK), Section 1 Paragraph 3 London and Fringe Area Allowances Per Annum, Local Government Association company number 11177145, Local government services pay agreement 2021-2022, Membership and services for councils and councillors, LGA principal advisers and regional teams, Licences, regulations and trading standards. Therefore, the pressure on the NJC pay spine is set to continue and will need to be factored into the National Employers considerations in the forthcoming pay round. The majority of employees - those on salaries starting at 18,198 per annum - would receive an uplift of 1.75 per cent on 1 April 2021, with those on the lowest salary receiving 2.75 per cent. The public sector pay review covers roughly 2.5mn people, some 45 per cent of public sector workers with total pay costing taxpayers 220bn in 2021-21. Many of our members are on poverty wages and deserve a large inflation-busting pay rise as they have endured a savage reduction in pay in real terms.