UNISON’s NJC Committee met to consider the outcome of the consultation on the NJC pay offer. The offer is for a pay increase of £1,290 on all NJC pay points.

Full detail on the pay offer and what it means for you on your pay point is explained here.

Members working in schools and councils who are covered by NJC pay were asked in a consultative ballot to vote as to whether they accepted or rejected this pay offer.

The consultation result was that 80.77% of members voted to reject vote on a 29.09% turnout. The results for members at West Sussex County Council, for information, the largest NJC employer in the West Sussex branch, were an 85.35% Reject vote on a 30.29% turnout.

The union’s NJC Committee then asked for a consultation with branches on the next steps. They were provided with the full employer-by-employer breakdown of the consultation results. The NJC meeting considered the outcomes of both the member consultation on the pay offer and the feedback on next steps from branches.

Regional feedback showed that a majority of branches were in favour of proceeding to an industrial action ballot, to be run on a disaggregated basis meaning that only individual employers which reach the 50% ballot threshold can take part in industrial action. The Committee decided that this would not exclude employers based on turnout levels in the consultation nor on membership size. The NJC Committee agreed to launch an industrial action ballot on that basis, to try to secure an improved offer from the National Employers. 350,000 members will be balloted across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, of which circa 4,000 are in our West Sussex branch.

The ballot will run from 4 September to 16 October 2024.

The deadline for new members who join for them to be able to vote in the industrial action ballot is 3 October.

It’s important that all members who receive a postal ballot take part and vote. Look out for the purple envelope that will come to your home address.

The envelope members will receive is in UNISON purple!

The branch will be visiting the council’s large office hubs on the following dates:

• Bridge House, Worthing: Tuesday 17 September
• Parkside, Horsham: Thursday 19 September
• The Library, Crawley: Tuesday 8 October
• County Hall, Chichester: Thursday 10 October

Check out our YouTube video of a presentation Branch Secretary Dan Sartin gave on the pay offer. Feel free to share with colleagues and encourage them to join the branch ahead of the ballot starting.

In reaction to the shocking scenes of violent public disorder which have taken place across the country; UNISON’s General Secretary, Christina McAnea says:

“We will work with other unions across the country to call for an end to violence, intimidation, and discrimination. Unity is our strength.”

The General Secretary’s full comment can be read here: Opinion: UNISON will stand up to the politics of hate | Article | News | UNISON National

The TUC have also published comment regarding the activities of groups determined to cause disruption and spread lies and division: TUC anti-far right statement | TUC

Further comment has also been made by the National TULO: Statement from National TULO on far-right and racist violence | Labour Unions which are the 11 trade unions affiliated to the Labour Party.

As a Branch we are aware of the concerns about safety that many front-line public-sector workers and activists have in the face of intimidation and the potential for further incidents. The Branch has raised a concern on this to the main employer. The Branch is assured that staff safety is paramount, and the county council is collaborating with partners across the sector, including Sussex Police, to support those communities who may be at risk should further events occur and to ensure staff safety. WSCC and UNISON find any form of racism, discrimination, and violent disorder unacceptable.

If you or a colleague have experienced a hate incident, or a crime, please report it. You can report hate incidents or crimes online and get free, confidential help if you need it. Do not accept it, report the incident, or contact the Branch for further advice and support.

Additional support is available for WSCC staff through the Employee Assistance Programme, a free and confidential service. You can access EAP for a range of services, support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via the freephone number 0800 028 0199.

For members concerned about workplace incidents, or any health and safety concerns please contact the Branch for advice.

As relevant today as it was when originally stated by Jo Cox, tragically the victim of far-right violence;

“We have far more in common than that which divides us.”

This was my first time attending Trans Pride Brighton. On my walk to Worthing rail station a guy questioned why I was wearing pink dungarees, then shouted at me that I was a poof and a faggot. I just hurried along to catch my train, but did mull over the experience on the way to Brighton. Fortunately the rest of the day was excellent.

I treated myself to coffee on the way to Dorset Gardens, where I met some UNISON South East members, before heading down to Jubilee Square. There I met members from West Sussex branch, UNISON Kent and UNISON University of Brighton. It was difficult to hear the opening speeches due to the crowds and the speakers only had megaphones, however this didn’t detract from the great atmosphere from the crowd. Jubilee Square was absolutely buzzing with people, excited for the march ahead.

Hu Evans, right, Branch LGBT+ Officer

The march started at midday and was amazing, a large presence of people had gathered and it felt very much more like a protest march compared to recent LGBT+ Prides. In front we had drumming and behind us was a guy spurring the chanting with “What do we want ?..”, “Trans Rights!”, “When do we want it?..”, “Now!” which he then finished by yelling “ARRRRRHHH” passionately! It made everyone smile.

From Jubilee Square the route took us up North Street to the clock tower, then down West Street to the seafront and left lane of the A259. As we turned off into the Old Steine we broke off from the march as it was returning to Jubilee Square and we were heading to the UNISON South East stall in Dorset Gardens.

On the march

The UNISON stall was near the stage, which mainly featured musical performances interspersed with sections from various LGBT+/trans support groups discussing what they do and the support they offer the trans community. There was a section at 5pm, where four members from different unions gave brief speeches including Tyler from UNISON Kent who talked about the roll out of UNISON’s Trans Ally training and how it was benefiting and supported trans people.

Overall I found it a great event which felt really positive. There was a lot of positive support from current UNISON members as well as people genuinely interested in finding out more about being part of a trade union.

Heading back from Worthing station, on the same stretch of road from my earlier experience, a woman walked past me, giving me a thumbs up saying she loved my dungarees, which was quite a nice end to the day.

UNISON is attending Crawley Pride on Saturday 17 August starting at 11.00am. I’m really looking forward to it and would encourage you to join us for another great event.

Tim Halpin (left) West Sussex branch rep at Grace Eyre Foundation, and Lydia Freeman (right) Higher Education SGE member for the South East (nominated by West Sussex branch) from University of Brighton branch.

Crawley Pride takes place this year on Saturday 17 August 2024

2024 marks the fourth Crawley Pride event aiming to raise awareness of the issues facing the LGBT+ community and promote Crawley as a safe place to work and live.

The parade will be start at 11.00am from the Memorial Gardens, walking through the High Street before ending at Goffs Park at the entrance to the festival which features numerous Acts, Stalls, Family Area, Fairground and Food. Parade participants can obtain a 20% discount code to book any tickets (except VIP) in advance.

Hu Evans, UNISON West Sussex LGBT+ Officer explains why it’s important to attend Crawley Pride:

Attending Pride is a way of demonstrating our commitment to equality and building a more inclusive society. Crawley is one of the more recent pride events in West Sussex, championing LGBT+ inclusivity in the north of our county and deserves our continued support. It’s also a great day out and an opportunity to have fun.

This year for UNISON’s Year of the LGBT+ Worker, the West Sussex branch is attending Crawley Pride parade march at 11.00am on Saturday 17 August 2024. Find our UNISON West Sussex branch banner at the Memorial Gardens, Crawley, from 10:45am and say hello. We would love to see you there.

If you have any queries ahead of Crawley Pride, get in touch with us.  If you are a West Sussex branch member intending to go to Crawley Pride than please let us know.

Trans Pride Brighton takes place this year on Saturday 20th July 2024

Trans Pride Brighton has been running since 2013; it is the first and largest Trans Pride event in Europe. This year is the 11th Annual Trans Pride, with the aim to educate and eliminate discrimination by promoting equality and diversity through visibility, celebrating Trans history while providing a great day for Trans, non-binary & intersex people, their friends, allies and families.

Hu Evans, UNISON West Sussex LGBT+ Officer explains why it’s important to attend Trans pride Brighton:

Everyone has the right to be themselves without fear. We must show our support for Trans, non-binary and intersex people. Barriers to inclusion and a positive workplace practice often arise from a lack of confidence and education around Trans and non-binary people’s experiences. This event is an opportunity to celebrate with the Trans community and learn from their shared experiences.

This year for UNISON’s Year of the LGBT+ Worker, the West Sussex branch is attending the Trans Pride Brighton parade march at 11.00am on Saturday 20th July. Find our UNISON West Sussex branch banner at Jubilee Square, Brighton, at 11.00am and say hello. We would love to see you there.

If you have any queries ahead of Trans Pride, get in touch with us. If you are a West Sussex branch member intending to go to Brighton Trans Pride than please let us know.

As we reported recently, the offer from the employers has come in at a flat rate £1,290 (pro rata’d). There is much more detail here about what this offer – if accepted – would be worth to you at your grade and spinal point. The offer was not negotiated with the three trade unions, despite our request for a proper negotiation this year.

UNISON’s NJC Committee has now met and decided:

1. To recommend to members that you REJECT the offer.
2. To run a digital pay consultation with members to see if you agree, or would rather accept the offer.

The West Sussex branch committee has also met and agreed:

1. To recommend to West Sussex members to REJECT the offer, in line with the national recommendation.
2. To hold two online meetings, led by the branch secretary, for West Sussex members to attend where the offer will be explained and discussed. More details of these meetings are below.

The consultation process

A pay consultation is not a formal industrial action ballot. The results of the pay consultation will inform the union as to whether it should proceed to put in place a formal industrial action ballot. You should still vote though according to whether you wish to Reject or Accept the offer. If you do vote to Reject, you should do so in the knowledge that you are prepared to take industrial action to secure a better pay offer than the one we have.

Members will be sent an email with a unique, secure voting link. The email will be sent to whichever email address is held on your UNISON membership record.

When does the pay consultation start?

The pay consultation for members covered by NJC pay starts from Wednesday 5 June and closes on Friday 28 June at midday. The first emails will be sent out on 5 June and members should receive their email ballot by the end of Friday 7 June.

How to vote

Each member will be asked to click on the link in the email ballot and this will take them directly to the voting page where members can vote to ‘accept’ or ‘reject’ the pay offer. Each member can only vote once – votes are secure and anonymous. Please do not forward your email with your personalised voting links – as it is specifically for you. If you know of other members who have not received an email with their personal voting link then please ask them to follow the instructions below.

What if a member hasn’t received an email with a voting link?

Emails with voting links will be sent out from Wednesday 5 June and all members will have received their email by the end of Friday 7 June. If a member hasn’t received their email by the morning of Monday 10 June then they can vote by visiting this webpage: unison.org.uk/njc2024

On this webpage members need to click on the ‘Vote here’ button and this will take them to the same NJC voting pages. Because members will be following a general voting link they will then need to verify their membership details to access their personalised vote online. To do this they will need their UNISON membership number or their National Insurance number as well as their date of birth and surname as recorded on the UNISON membership system.

Note: Members should only use this method of voting if they haven’t received their voting link in an email by 10 June.

What if members can’t vote?

If members are having problems voting then they are advised to call the UNISON Direct number: 0800 0 857 857. UNISON Direct colleagues will be able to help members check their membership details and access their vote. Members should wait until at least Monday 10 June before trying to vote online and calling UNISON Direct as not all voting emails will be received until Friday 7 June.

Why are some members not getting sent their own email?

If members do not have a current email address on their UNISON membership record then they won’t receive an email with their voting link. However, they can still vote by visiting the website unison.org.uk/njc2024

Will new UNISON members be able to vote?

All UNISON members who join by 13 June 2024 will be able to vote in this digital pay consultation. They will be sent an email with their voting link in the week starting 24 June 2024.

Send colleagues who want to join UNISON this link: https://unisonwestsussex.org.uk/join/

When does the digital consultation close?

The digital pay consultation closes on Friday 28 June at midday. All members covered by NJC pay in schools, councils and relevant associated employers should vote by this date and time.

Will members be sent a reminder if they haven’t voted?

Members will be sent up to three emails during this digital pay consultation. The first one will be sent out between 5-7 June; the second one will be sent by Friday 14 June; the final email will be sent to arrive by Wednesday 26 June. New members will be sent an email by 26 June. We will also send a text message to members with a reminder to vote before the consultation closes. Members who have already voted won’t receive further reminders.

How can I find out more?

The West Sussex branch is holding two online meetings for West Sussex members. These will be led by the branch secretary and will go through the pay offer and answer members questions. Please put these dates in your diary now.

Tuesday 11th June, 1.00-2.00pm
Join using this Microsoft Teams link

Tuesday 11th June, 4.00-5.00pm
Join using this Microsoft Teams link

In response to the joint NJC (National Joint Council) pay claim for £3,000 or 10% (whichever is highest) on all pay points, local government employers have come back to the unions with the following offer for 2024-25:

• With effect from 1 April 2024, an increase of £1,290 (pro rata for part-time and term-time-only employees*) to be paid as a consolidated, permanent addition on all NJC spinal column points. This represents a percentage increase between 5.77% (at the lowest point on the scale, point 2) and 2.50% (at the highest point on the scale, point 43).
• With effect from 1 April 2024 an increase of 2.50 per cent on all allowances.

* For example, a school Teaching Assistant working a 30-hour week, 39-week per year Term Time Only contract would receive in region of £780 per year.

Below you can discover the impact of the pay offer at your grade and spinal column point: what the offer is worth to you, including whether you gain or lose after the impact of inflation is taken into account.

Other elements of our claim were responded to as follows:

• A two-hour reduction in the working week, with no detriment:
  REJECTED
• An additional day of annual leave:
  REJECTED
• A phased approach to reaching a minimum pay rate of £15 an hour:
  REJECTED
• Reviews of the gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps:
  Discuss options for working together to capture pay gap information.

You can read the full claim here on our website and also view the full response and offer here.

It is clear that this offer falls short of the union’s reasonable claim. Many members will feel let down because their household bills continue to rise, whilst this offer falls short even of inflation for most members.

UNISON will now decide next steps over NJC pay. A meeting of UNISON reps on our NJC Committee will take place on Wednesday 22 May to decide whether and then how to ballot members so we can act in line with your views. It is highly likely that some form of ballot will follow, and the UNISON West Sussex branch will be in touch with its members then.

The West Sussex branch will be working hard to ensure that the NJC pay offer is honoured for members at WSCC on locally-determined pay grades (HAY, SMG, Agenda for Change). These grades historically follow the NJC award when settled.

If you’d like to be actively involved in the 2024-25 pay campaign, please join us as a workplace rep.

Please also sign up new members to the West Sussex branch, here.

Impact of the pay offer, including impact of inflation

UNISON’s 2024 School Uniform Grant Programme will open on 29 May 2024 at the following times:

750 applications at 8.30am

750 applications at 5pm

You will not be able to apply before these times. Applications will be made online.

Apply here on 29 May at 8.30am or 5.00pm

We anticipate high demand for these grants. Please ensure you read the below information to check if you are eligible for the grant, as well as for further information about what information you will need to hand to apply.

If you are unable to complete the application due to an accessibility need, please email: sug@unison.co.uk or call UNISONdirect on 0800 0 857 857.

School Uniform Grant 2024 Criteria

Applicants must:  

• Be a UNISON member and have paid at least four weeks’ subscriptions as of 29 May 2024. Subscriptions must be up to date.
• Not have received a grant from UNISON Welfare since 29 November 2023, excluding the Energy Support Fund or Winter Fuel Grant.
• Have savings (including the total rolling balance on current accounts) below £1,000 to qualify.
• Be financially responsible for school-aged child(ren) and receiving Child Benefit for them**. By school-aged, we mean children aged between 4 and 17 years old, who will be returning to school in the autumn.

And EITHER:

Be on a low income, meaning a net household income* of no more than £26,000/year (£2,166.67/month)

OR:

Be in receipt of means-tested benefits. This includes:

• Universal Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Child and/or Working Tax Credits
• Pension Credit
• Means-tested Jobseekers Allowance
• Means-tested Employment Support Allowance
• Income Support

* Net household income includes your monthly take-home pay from work (plus your partner’s, if you have one), any income from child maintenance payments, any income from student finance loans or bursaries, pensions (excluding Pension Credit) and any income from people living with you (e.g. adult children or lodgers).

** Where members either have no recourse to public funds and their household income is above £26,000/year or have no recourse to public funds and don’t receive Child Benefit; an assessment will be undertaken to see whether they would be eligible for benefits if they did have recourse to public funds.

What can I get help with?

We can help with a one-off, non-repayable grant of £75 per school-aged child which will be paid in the form of a voucher. These vouchers can be used at a selection of high street and online retailers. The vouchers cannot be used at independent retailers. We want to make this fund go as far as possible and help as many members as we can. Please only apply if you are in financial difficulty. There is a limited amount in the School Uniform Grant fund, and we are only able to accept 1,500 applications.  

What if I don’t know my membership number?

We cannot accept applications without a membership number. This can often be found at the bottom of any emails you have received from UNISON. Alternatively, please contact UNISONdirect on 0800 0 857 857.

How will you contact me?

Acknowledgement

Successful online submissions will receive an automated message confirming your application has been received. If this doesn’t show in your ‘inbox’, please check your ‘junk/spam’ folders.

Processing time

You should not expect to receive an immediate decision. It could take up to 12 weeks before you hear from us. We will require further evidence to support your application and we will be in touch via email to request this. Please do not send chasing emails as we will be unable to respond.

If I have recently received a grant, can I apply?

If you have received a grant from UNISON Welfare since 29 November 2023, excluding the Energy Support Fund or Winter Fuel Grant, you will not be eligible to apply for a School Uniform Grant.

How do I apply?

All applications should be made online. Make sure you have your membership number to hand. 

If you are unable to complete the application online due to work, personal or other commitments; we suggest you ask a friend or family member to apply online on your behalf. If you are unable to complete the application online due to a disability access need; please contact us on 29 May 2024, either by email: sug@unison.co.uk or by calling UNISONdirect on 0800 0 857 857. 

The grant will open on 29 May 2024 for 750 applications at 8.30am and 750 applications at 5pm. 

Any questions?
Contact us via email: sug@unison.co.uk