As members know, the branch consulted with you in December to establish the union’s pay claim which was submitted to Local Government employers on 31st January.
The claim
The claim was for:
- an increase of £3,000 on all pay points
- a clear ‘roadmap’ 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
The offer
The Employers’ Side has now given a response to UNISON and made an offer as follows:
- With effect from 1 April 2025, an increase of 3.2 per cent to be paid as a consolidated, permanent addition on all NJC pay points 2 to 43 inclusive
- With effect from 1 April 2025 an increase of 3.20 per cent on all allowances
- With effect from 1 April 2026, the deletion of pay point 2 from the NJC pay spine.
All other elements of the union’s pay claim have been REJECTED.
Next steps
A meeting of UNISON’s elected NJC Committee has agreed that UNISON will CONSULT its members with a recommendation to REJECT the offer. The consultation will be by email and members will be able to vote using an electronic ballot. It will open on 23 May and close on 20 June.
For members on HAY, Agenda for Change and SMG4 grades
In January, WSCC 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. This was in response to a request made for this by the UNISON West Sussex branch, so is welcome.