[UK] Local government staff win highest pay award in over a decade

On November 1, local government trade unions in the UK accepted a pay offer that will see hundreds of thousands of workers, over 350,000 of whom are UNISON members, paid an extra £1,925 this year, UNISON reports.

The uplift equates to a 10.5 per cent increase for the sector's lowest-paid workers.

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. After consulting their members over the last two months, the unions reportedly met on November 1 and agreed to accept the offer from the employer, the Local Government Association (LGA).

The pay award is the highest offered to NJC workers in over a decade and follows local government workers bearing years of below-inflation pay offers and pay freezes that have seen them lose over 25 per cent of the value of their pay since 2010.

It will be backdated to 1 April 2022 and averages out to around 7 per cent across the pay spine with the flat rate seeing those at the bottom of the spine (the lowest paid) receive a 10.5 per cent increase with those at the top, just over 4 per cent.

The award also includes a 4 per cent increase to allowances, backdated to April 1, 2022, with a one-day increase to the annual leave of all employees coming into effect on April 1, 2023, and the removal of the bottom pay point on the same date.

This offer almost meets the government’s target of the minimum wage hitting two-thirds of median earning by 2024 (estimated to be around £10.70), however, it means the bottom three points on the pay scale will still fall below the Foundation Living Wage rate of £10.90.

Commenting on 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.

“Our immediate priority, now, is to get the money into the pay packets of workers as soon as possible, to help deal with the rapidly rising cost of living and move into the next pay round.

“We know there is much more to do, as this pay settlement is still below inflation and we will be looking to submit a pay claim for 2023 as soon as practically possible, so the employers have no excuse for delaying making an offer, next year.

“We will be expecting that offer to meet our members’ needs and address the massive pressure they are facing due to the rate of inflation.”

Source: UNISON

(Quotes via original reporting)

On November 1, local government trade unions in the UK accepted a pay offer that will see hundreds of thousands of workers, over 350,000 of whom are UNISON members, paid an extra £1,925 this year, UNISON reports.

The uplift equates to a 10.5 per cent increase for the sector's lowest-paid workers.

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. After consulting their members over the last two months, the unions reportedly met on November 1 and agreed to accept the offer from the employer, the Local Government Association (LGA).

The pay award is the highest offered to NJC workers in over a decade and follows local government workers bearing years of below-inflation pay offers and pay freezes that have seen them lose over 25 per cent of the value of their pay since 2010.

It will be backdated to 1 April 2022 and averages out to around 7 per cent across the pay spine with the flat rate seeing those at the bottom of the spine (the lowest paid) receive a 10.5 per cent increase with those at the top, just over 4 per cent.

The award also includes a 4 per cent increase to allowances, backdated to April 1, 2022, with a one-day increase to the annual leave of all employees coming into effect on April 1, 2023, and the removal of the bottom pay point on the same date.

This offer almost meets the government’s target of the minimum wage hitting two-thirds of median earning by 2024 (estimated to be around £10.70), however, it means the bottom three points on the pay scale will still fall below the Foundation Living Wage rate of £10.90.

Commenting on 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.

“Our immediate priority, now, is to get the money into the pay packets of workers as soon as possible, to help deal with the rapidly rising cost of living and move into the next pay round.

“We know there is much more to do, as this pay settlement is still below inflation and we will be looking to submit a pay claim for 2023 as soon as practically possible, so the employers have no excuse for delaying making an offer, next year.

“We will be expecting that offer to meet our members’ needs and address the massive pressure they are facing due to the rate of inflation.”

Source: UNISON

(Quotes via original reporting)