NJC Pay Update – April 2023
On 30 January, UNISON, GMB and Unite lodged their pay claim for April 2023. This included the below points:
- RPI (10.70%) plus 2.0% on all pay points
- Consideration of a flat rate increase to hourly rates of pay in order to bring the minimum rate up to ￡15 per hour within two years
- A review and improvement of NJC terms for family leave and pay
- A review of job evaluation outcomes for school staff whose day-to-day work includes working on Special Educational Needs (SEN)
- An additional day of annual leave for personal or well-being purposes
- A homeworking allowance for staff for whom it is a requirement to work from home
- A reduction in the working week by two hours
- A review of the pay spine, including looking at the top end, and discussions about the link between how remuneration can be used to improve retention
As of 23 February, the National Employers released a statement responding to the above claims. They have stated that they have been faced with very difficult decisions when considering their response to the unions’ claim. The main issue influencing their position has been the continuing challenge of how to deal with the relentless pressure from the proximity of the National Living Wage (NLW) to the bottom of the NJC pay spine.
Last year, the employers were able to mitigate slightly the in-year cost of the 2022-23 pay award by deferring to 1 April 2023, the deletion of the bottom pay point from the pay spine. Repeating that approach could have been an option for the employers again this year. However, a very clear message from the regional pay briefings was that a majority of councils were against the deletion of further pay points.
The National Employers today agreed unanimously to make the following one-year (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024), full and final offer to the unions representing the main local government NJC workforce.
- With effect from 1 April 2023, an increase of ￡1,925 (pro rata for part-time employees) to be paid as a consolidated, permanent addition on all NJC pay points 2 to 43 inclusive.
- With effect from 1 April 2023, an increase of 3.88 per cent on all pay points above the maximum of the pay spine but graded below deputy chief officer (in accordance with Green Book Part 2 Para 5.4)
- With effect from 1 April 2023, an increase of 3.88 per cent on all allowances (as listed in the 2022 NJC pay agreement dated 1 November 2022)
This offer would achieve a bottom rate of pay of ￡11.59 with effect from 1 April 2023 (which equates to a pay increase of 9.42 per cent for employees on pay point 2) and everyone on the NJC pay spine would receive a minimum 3.88 per cent pay increase. If accepted, this offer means an employee on the bottom pay point in April 2021 (earning ￡18,333) will have received an increase in their pay of ￡4,033 (22.0 per cent) over the two years to April 2023. For an employee at the mid-point of the pay spine (pay point 22), their pay will have increased over the same period by ￡3,850 (13.99 per cent).
We are yet to see if the unions will accept this offer from the Nation Employers, once there are any further updates, we will release an updated blog. In the meantime, if you have any queries feel free to contact us on 01924 827869 or leave a message and one of the team will be happy to help.