NJC Pay 2025-26: latest update

As members will recall, the branch consulted with you in December to establish if there was support for the proposed pay claim of:

  • an increase of £3,000 on all pay points, plus a clear ‘roadmap’ to reach a minimum pay rate of £15 an hour.

414 members took part and 82.8% were in favour of the claim. This was reported to the national office alongside the consultation reports of other local government branches where members are on NJC pay.

UNISON has since met with the other NJC trade unions (Unite and GMB) and the following now stands as the claim for 2025-26:

A headline claim of an increase of £3,000 on all pay points, along with claims for:

  • A plan to reach a minimum pay rate of £15 an hour
  • An increase of one day of annual leave, with no loss of pay
  • The right of school staff able to take at least one day of annual leave within term time
  • A reduction in the working week of two hours for all staff – while recognising the complexities this would involve for some groups of staff, we want to discuss them with the employers as part of meaningful negotiations.

This amended claim is now receiving final assent from the relevant committees of all three unions, still with an intention to ensure it is submitted to the NJC employers before the end of January.

For members on HAY, Agenda for Change and SMG4 grades

As you will know, your annual cost-of-living pay award each year is arrived at after a local process which follows NJC awards and is informed by the NJC award.

Since 2021, WSCC has agreed to a formal UNISON request that it should mirror NJC awards for staff on HAY, Agenda for Change and SMG4 scales. WSCC has also previously agreed that the pay year for HAY staff would align with NJC staff, being applicable from 1st April each year.

In December 2024, following a meeting with the Chief Executive, the branch secretary wrote formally asking that the mirroring arrangement be replicated again.

WSCC has in January confirmed its intention that the award for staff on HAY, Agenda for Change and SMG4 grades will mirror the NJC award for the pay year 2025-26 when settled.