The Local Government Association has made an increased pay offer for staff on NJC pay and conditions, which covers schools support staff and council workers.
The offer is now 2.75% on all pay points from 1 April 2020, plus an extra days leave for just those on the minimum leave entitlement. This has increased from the original 2% offer.
Please find below a copy of a response letter from the NJC joint unions.
You will note that we have not accepted that this is the employers’ final offer, as a number of areas remain unresolved. We have asked the employers to write jointly with us to the government to seek additional funds for an improved offer and also called for a further negotiating meeting.
16 April 2020
Naomi Cooke
Employers’ Side Secretary
NJC for Local Government Services
Local Government House
Smith Square
London, SW1P 3HZ
Dear Naomi,
Thank you for your letter sent today 16th April.
We are pleased that the Local Government Association has made an increased national pay offer for local government and schools staff working in England, Cymru/Wales and Northern Ireland. But we are very disappointed that it falls well short of our claim.
There are a number of issues in the letter that means that we do not consider that this can be a final offer.
We note that the employers are calling on the government to fund an additional pay increase on top of the Local Government offer. The trade unions support that call and would like to write jointly with the LGA to the government. We suggest that we give them a deadline of two weeks in which to respond, during which we will continue to engage with you to seek further improvements.
We welcome the offer for discussions about the impact of the National Living Wage, which we would urge begin as soon as possible. And we think that further discussions on the cause of stress and mental health are positive. However, we think that the 2.75% offer and proposals for an additional day on the minimum leave needs further discussion.
We suggest that after either the government has responded, or the two weeks are up, that we meet as an NJC executive to seek to finish the negotiating process for this year
Local government and school staff are working above and beyond their jobs, putting themselves daily at risk from the coronavirus to keep public services working and our country on track. The government should recognise this and fund a substantial additional increase for these committed workers, who have seen their pay drop in real terms by over 20% in recent years.
Now is the time for employers and unions to call for the government to step in and properly reward our vital local government staff.
Yours sincerely
| Rehana Azam GMB | Jon Richards UNISON | Jim Kennedy UNITE |
Trade Unions Side Secretaries