What is more of a priority for you next year?
- Getting my pay rise in April, even if it's not the best. (57%, 251 Votes)
- Taking action (including striking) for a better deal, even if it doesn't succeed. (43%, 190 Votes)
Total Voters: 441
Loading ...Unions have agreed to accept this year’s local government pay deal for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, following a protracted dispute.
UNISON confirmed today that unions had collectively accepted employers’ offer of a £1,925 rise for staff outside the capital earning up to £49,950, with a 3.88% hike for those on higher wages than that. Outer London staff will receive a £2,226 rise while colleagues in inner London will get a £2,352 hike up to a defined salary threshold.
However, employers separately stated that, while UNISON and the GMB had formally agreed to settle, Unite had not added its name to the agreement – though the other two unions’ agreement is sufficient for the deal to go through.
The pay deal will be backdated to 1 April, 2023, and apply to the majority of authorities with social services responsibility in England and Wales – those that fall under the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC).
What is employers’ 2023-24 pay offer worth to social workers?
- An NQSW working outside of London on pay point 23, earning £30,151, would see their pay rise by £1,925 or 6.4%.
- An experienced social worker outside of London on pay point 32, earning £38,296, would see their pay rise by £1,925 or 5%.
- A team manager outside of London earning £51,832 would see their pay rise by £2,011 or 3.88%.
NB The figures refer to staff working in councils covered by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services agreement in England and Wales. This group includes a large majority of councils with social services responsibilities.
The road to the pay deal
The agreement comes nine months after the unions lodged their claim for 12.7% – at a time of inflation in excess of 10% – to be met, in February 2023, with what the NJC employers said was their “full and final” offer.
This is the deal that the unions have now accepted. However, the spring and summer saw UNISON ballot its members on taking industrial action, as GMB and Unite members rejected the offer.
However, despite a positive vote in some areas, UNISON, the union with the largest number of social work members, announced in August, decided not to pursue industrial action and opted to seek a negotiated settlement.
At the same time, Unite, following an industrial action ballot, started a campaign of local strikes, which is still ongoing. The GMB carried out its own strike ballot in September and October and announced yesterday that it had not secured a mandate to pursue effective industrial action.
Despite the agreement, Unite said it was persisting with local strikes in pursuit of better deals for members in those areas.
Its national officer, Clare Keogh said: “Unite’ s ongoing local authority disputes will continue and the union will be giving our members rock solid support where they are fighting for improved terms and conditions at the local level. Unite has already secured multiple local wins for our members in different councils across England and Wales. We will continue to back our members 100% who are in dispute so we can build on these locals wins further.”
Staff ‘need the money in pay packets now’
“Following the conclusion of the NJC industrial action ballot the message from the majority of GMB members was clear – though clearly angry, members are struggling in the current climate and need the money in pay packets now,” it said.
On a statement put out on X (formerly, Twitter), UNISON said: “UNISON met with the the other local government unions, GMB and Unite, on 1 Wednesday 2023, and the joint decision is to accept the pay offer of £1,925 on all pay NJC pay points (pro rata’d for part-time and term time only staff. The pay award will be backdated to 1 April 2023.”
It said employers had been informed and unions’ immediate priority was to “get the money into the pay packets of our hardworking members as soon as possible”.
A spokesperson for the NJC employers’ side said that, though payroll arrangements varied from council to council, it was “confident employers will work hard to ensure the pay award and backpay is paid before the end of the year”.
He added that, while there was no legal requirement for employers to pay backpay to staff who had left since April, the employers’ side’s advice was to do so if requested by a former member of staff.
Focus on 2024 pay deal
The unions are also now turning their attention to their 2024 pay claim and would be meeting shortly about this, with consultations with members to follow.
“The fight to restore local government pay will continue and we plan to be stronger than ever to get fair pay for council and school workers,” UNISON added.
In a circular to council chief executives, the employers’ side secretary, Naomi Cooke, criticised the “protracted process” of settling the claim.
She said the backpay that staff would now be due would likely result in a cut to the amount of universal credit (UC) received by lower-paid staff. This is because it would be paid as a lump sum, making it appear that they are earning more than they really are, reducing the amount of benefit they are entitled to.
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About bloody time
If you are a teaching assistant you don’t get paid in the holidays. Which I think is so unfair. Annually we are paid £14000. This is unfair. The unions don’t fight for teaching assistants. The pay we are getting isn’t even on the councils pay scales.
Genuine question (not inflammatory), when was the last time the 3 unions actually negotiated a meaningful increase to an original offer in council NJC pay negotiations on a national level (not ad hoc or individual arrangements like at Wrexham or Newham).
So I mean actually rejected tabled offer; And got a larger useful increase later offered?
Two years back to back, both taking 8-9 months to implement what was originally offered, I’m not sure the confidence would be there to reject anything offered in 2024/25 given the recent track record.
I would love them to work coordinated, to the same timetable and be ready to ballot by March/April collectively; too much added pressure to workforce the longer ballots go on, meaning members just accept to get something as soon as they can before Christmas.
I agree with this 100%. Christmas is coming and if you have kids in the house will accept any decent chunk in November to help with expenses. I know what I think is reasonable in May is often very different to what i am grateful to recieve in November
I’m just shocked by the disorganised organisation this year. And not one union is clean in this (despite unison saying further delays were not down to them and GMB saying we only balloted as member said they wanted to strike)
Unison wanted to strike last year, so why have to cleanse member data this year through to May / June in order to ballot (admittedly they finally acknowledged such a small mandate they couldn’t do strikes less than 3% of members had a legal mandate).
Unite decided to play big boy with a minuscule mandate – which barely touched local news nevermind national level – so would never have an impact.
And GMB took so long between initial ballot about offer to their actual strike ballot, that as i (and you) mentioned, people are just desperate for whatever before Christmas so they lost any momentum- but even then, even if they had all balloted members go on strike, it would still only be around 53k (combined with unite) actively striking from a national workforce of 1.4m….
Too many individual agendas to look good for their own members and not a national collective weight for negotiation.
The rhetoric of “anti union laws” is tiresome too. If you can’t get 50.1% of your members to vote, and at least 40% of those that vote to vote to support action (which equates to approx 20/21% of eligible members), this demonstrates this is more a problem about the union’s engagement and rallying of their members.
Absolutely there is no point in trying to negotiate for more in the economic climate some councils budgets are at rock bottom for whatever reason and even if pay rises are given most council employees are now doing two peoples jobs and twice as much work as ten years ago. The only way forward for everyone is for big companies to hand over more tax for the system that gives them the flexibility and freedom to make such large profits in the first place. The system can’t cope and the whole county’s finance needs a re structure plan!
I’m a union man and have been for over 30 years and have always believed in fair pay for a fair days work, and the role of organized unions in ensuring this, but I must admit I am very disillusioned with what I see.
Completely agree with this post and Luke’s follow up comments. Shockingly uncoordinated approach year on year from supposedly nationwide unions, whose hierarchy seem completely out of touch with their membership. Not surprising I guess when you consider that on average the leaders of the top 30 trade unions in the UK get paid in excess of £150,000 a year! Nothing like being a voice of the working people they supposedly represent!
The press reports suggest they are now turning their attention to the 24/25 award. Well, if this is the case I would have thought that between now and 1st April 2024 (that’s around 135 days) they have plenty of time to arrange a series of Teams meetings of leaders to discuss and prepare a range of draft responses that can be tweaked shortly after any offer is made by employers. It’s really can’t be that difficult!!
Anything lees risks looking as if they are trying to justify their over inflated pay by dragging out negotiations, when in reality it looks from the outside as if they are not fit for purpose.
Is this including school and council workers (council tax, benefit officers etc)
Hi,
Thanks for that – it does cover all local government employees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in councils covered by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (which is most of them).
Would this mean the rise will be in the November pay?
It will depend on the complexity and normal payroll timescales. Each authority is different. I know some have been told it will be November, others December.
Hello, we have been told today that it will be on our December pay.
Hope we get it in November pay. Waited long enough.
Shame we get taxed on it even though we have paid tax all year
You’ve paid tax on money you’ve received. So of course you’ll pay tax on this when you get it as you haven’t pre-paid taxes on this amount. Same as pension deductions.
I agree!
It’s good news for council employees who put their best efforts in their role and take the job seriously. After all, most of the admin and customer services posts aren’t on high salaries. Not like some positions in the private sector with their bonus schemes and profit sharing plans.
In reality private sector social work posts are paid much less than LA counterparts. Minimal sick pay and pension too.
Wow both years we could have just accepted in April. I worked out if I’d of had that money in my savings account I could have had an extra £70-80 interest with my rate. Bet they won’t backpay that.
Am right in thinking we wont get the raise on all overtime worked too, just our contracted hours?
It’s a flat amount unless you’re on a £50k salary, when it’s a % of your salary, presumably not including overtime (if paid)
Have the unions negotiated anything at all???? 2nd year on the trot it’s taken 8 months to agree what was originally offered,ok it’s nice to have a bumper wage coming,but seriously 8months…
The erosion of wages continues…..this country is in big and serious trouble….if members/unions keep backing down and accepting there lot, progress on pay restoration will never happen!
You are getting poorer and so another year goes by……
Completely agree
I can’t believe it’s taken this long to agree to a pay rise that we was offered in April it’s the same amount as last year and the same length of time to agree to the rise.
Members will now pay more tax on the back pay we would of been better off getting the pay rise from April and it being paid monthly to reduce the tax lump sum we will all pay on the back pay.
I am seriously thinking about cancelling my membership because going off the past two years it looks like our next pay rise will be £1925 and paid In December 2024
Sorry for the rant but members are struggling and it can’t continue the unions need to get there acts together and fight for a fair pay rise for 2024
The frustrations of this make me glad I made the same decision as you’re contemplating a year ago, feels like membership is such poor value for money. I don’t regret coming out one bit following two years of frustration at how the union dealt with a number of issues, both nationally and within the council I work for.
100% agree. I am on the verge of cancelling mine. All this months we’ve waisted and they haven’t stood together!!
Don’t be sorry for your Rant as it is justified and if I was you,I would seriously consider cancelling your membership as I did about 10 years ago. I just don’t think they earn their money and are slow with anything they do. Unions just don’t have any power anymore as they squandered that power years ago.
Dave, if you are overtaxed on the lump sum, come next April it will all be resolved as ultimately tax is on your annual income I believe? Although not sure what that means for NI contributions
Do we know how much the measly £1925 works out to on a pro rata basis? This is my first year contracted through a school and I’m not sure how much of it comes off from pro rata.
Absolutely scandalous that we have been made to wait all this time, only for the Unions to now agree the original offer!
The lump-sum back-payment will of course be more than welcome, but this will arrive with a heavier tax burden than what we would’ve received in April – Simply disgusting.
Hi John, why would there be a greater tax burden on the lump sum payment?
No, you dont get taxed more at all. The backdated lump sum is taxed at the usual rates. You get a monthly tax + NI allowance (ie what you’re allowed to earn before these start being charged) + then you pay tax + NI at normal rates on the rest of your wages. So (for example) if you’re full time + the backdated lump sum was £1000 and your usual tax + NI rate was 25%, you’d get 75% of £1000 = £750. But this still works out the same £ overall as if you’d been receiving it from 01.04.23.
Just worried about this as I am leaving one job to start another social work job, December last pay. You do not think my old place might not pay me or should it be the new local authority. Cannot afford to lose it either way.
Hi SA,
We’ve just added some more information to the article on when the money will come in (the employers are confident that it will be before the end of the year) and arrangements for backpay (there are no guarantees but employers are advised to provide it if an ex-employee asks).
I hope that’s of use.
Thanks,
Mithran
Just by way of reply to Dave Rigg it is not correct that you or any employee will pay more tax because of the 7 month delay. I consider the Unison leadership plainly incompetent but they did ballot their members re strike action back in June and early July and clearly the majority of those members couldn’t even be bothered to respond so that the 50% threshold would be met. Therefore the majority of those members must have been willing to take the £1,925.00 all along. The reason why virtually all other public sector organisation received pay increases averaging around 6% is because they either went on strike or were willing to. If members are not willing to do this then they will be paid peanuts and they have to take responsibility for their own inaction on the issue of pay.
Just hope it’s been agreed in time to be included in November wages..And now let’s get to work on securing next year’s pay deal..hopefully won’t take as long !!
Unions have been fannying on with this for the last 8 months while lower paid workers have been feeling the pinch. People needed this in APRIL. They’ve achieved nothing other than placing lower and middle paid workers in increased poverty. They should be ashamed of themselves. Here’s a plan, agree the 24/25 rise NOW at £1925 again and stop messing with peoples financial lives
The offer was made in february, GMB balloted members about accepting it in may, but then didnt bother balloting about potential strike action until the middle of september. Which is why everything’s been held up for the last 4 months. It also didnt help that Unite made their question to members so vague that their result could be taken either way. Unions need to ask the same question on the same day + same duration for replies + also have a date already set up to discuss results. Then there would be no delays.
This has to be a joke. After all of that drama all year this is the best outcome? Why not just accept this in April then? Now this back pay will affect the workers that are already struggling as it is and take away whatever benefits they have left…. and we all know what Universal credit is like, will take months for it to be corrected. And even for those that are not in receipt of benefits, once you take pension, taxes, national insurance and student loans, your left with barely enough to cover Christmas…
I’m sorry but while we have public services in shambles like this we will continue to face recruitment issues and demoralisation…. No wonder so many leave to go work at Aldi or Tesco…
I agree. 1 and half hour commute most days to and from work, rarely get a break and expected to work in own time in the evening. Now a below inflation pay deal which has taken so long to agree.
Had enough, looking for another job where I get paid for the hours I put in, less commute costs, less wear and tear on my car, less stress, more time with my family and to enjoy life.
Not sure how the government expect to recruit and retain staff with public sector pay diminishing year after year????
People in receipt of benefits were awarded inflation matching increases, surely the public sector workers who give so much to society deserve the same? Especially as we would pay a percentage of the increase back in tax.
Would this apply to those who left council but work a few months od the pay rise period.
Thanks Stace.
Councils are advised to provide backpay to staff who have left if the ex-employee asks for it. They don’t have to but I imagine most would if asked.
Is this a pay increase annually or a one off payment of £1925
Hi Jake,
People’s full-time annual salaries will go up by £1,925 (a bit more for people in London and for those earning £50k or more) so gross monthly salaries will rise by about £160 a month.
There will also be a back payment for the period from April to the month before the pay rise comes into force. So if you get your pay rise in November, the back payment will cover April to October, so 7 months, which would be, roughly, £1120.
Thanks,
Mithran
This has got to be the poorest pay settlement of any public service and highlights the poor relation status of council employees compared to health, police, education etc.
Media coverage of campaigns was poor and has not gained any meaningful attention or sympathy with the public in delivering their essential services.
In particular the work undertaken by council, school and social work staff should have been hammered home in having to undertake duieis through the pandemic.
If councils were privatised( more than currently) the process would be whispered through on the basis of the noise unions have made in the news for workers!
Hi
Do we know whether we are backdated payment in November or December this year?
If we do not know, do we have a rough idea when they will confirm this.
Hi Hannah,
Thanks for this – this will depend on your local authority so worth asking your manager or HR about this.
I assume the backdated payment will come at the same time as the pay rise but that may differ from local authority to local authority.
Thanks,
Mithran
Having worked for over 45 years now I have seen and learned a few things. One in particular is “divide and conquer”!
Once upon a time Unison invited members to suggest a name (formerly a collaboration of former unions NUPE & NALGO). The intention I believe was to strengthen and bond the former memberships.
Nothing really changed, apart from continuing to pay subscriptions.
Over the years more changes have occurred. Instead of one cohesive union (Unison) that would be the voice of the vast majority of local government employees we now have THREE separate unions plus I would imagine a fair amount of people, like myself who became disillusioned with woeful incompetence and refused to participate anymore.
It may seem a radical proposition but, perhaps any real change would have to begin with a move to one single representative! Sadly, that will never happen as now too many people high up in the unions receive extremely attractive remuneration. Consequently any attempt to create one single union would be like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas.
LESS IS MORE
Accepting such a low pay offer for 2 years in row is a joke, however if enough members do not vote for industrial action , then this is the result!
What a surprise the unions have failed to negotiate a penny extra than what was originally offered many months ago . No doubt next years payrise will go down the same path as this and last years with the incompetent, futile unions.
Will casuals be getting the backdated pay rise.
Does any one know?
I’d like to know too.
I was casual April until end of July and also on a fixed term contract at the same time (2 roles at same school) I’m worried that my previous employer will refuse backpay for 4 months of both jobs… is there a particular wording I should use to make my request for backoay does anyone know?
Can I just remind those that complain about “the union” that every single member is “the union”. How many of you are union stewards? How many of you go to union meetings,? How many of you are Branch stewards, conveners? “The union” is only as strong as its members are prepared to be activists !
Leaving a union at a time when nobodiy’s jobs are safe feels like turkeys voting for Christmas! The pay award is another pay cut for all grades coupled with the Tory’s increasing the tax burden by not raising thresholds everyone is worse off.
Stay in the union, recruit new members, and get active’
If you fight, you may lose, if you don’t fight you’ll always lose !
100% agree. If nobody was in a union, we’d all get 0% or paltry £100-200 a year before tax. I wonder how many people aren’t in the union (or have since left) but who would prefer to get 100-200 instead of 1925? But then they will happily let other people fight for them to get it + wont lift a finger themselves? If this payrise only applied to people in unions, i reckon loads of them would be clamouring to join/rejoin.
I’ve been a union rep and seen it from both sides. I been (very poorly) represented at a tribunal and this latest farce hasn’t changed the opinion I’ve had for the last 8 years and that is that membership for a TA with either GMB or other is a very poor investment..
So glad I left Unison a few years ago – totally spineless.
Looking back at the last 20 years of pay rounds the Unions have failed their members very badly and their leaders should be ashamed. They haven’t managed to get us a decent pay increase or one that matches inflation, for that matter, in the last 20 years or so.
What does that say about the Unions negotiations in our behalf….
No wonder we keeping getting pay cuts in real terms. What’s the point of being a Union member if Unions can’t even liase with one another and sing from same hymn book so we don’t end up waiting 8/9 months to receive our below inflation pay award. It’s a SHAMBLES
People on benefits got an inflation pay increase and us the workers that pay the taxes for the government to give away in benefits get peanuts.
Unions get your act together. Your Members deserve better.
The only reason we were offered 1925 is because of the unions. If there weren’t any, we would probably have got 0% or 100-200 a year before tax. I agree about the unions need to be more coordinated + do things on the same days, so we’re not kept waiting.
It seems like social workers continue to be undervalued by the Government, but also by social workers themselves who refuse to strike.
The teachers got 6.5%, NHS between 6-10% – social workers get half that when recruitment and retention is a huge issue.
Unfortunately, the Unions can’t do much if people don’t get together and agree to strike for fair pay, quite sad for a profession that should promote social justice, it can’t even promote justice for those who work in the profession.
And while you plebs picked up less than 2K your common or garden CEO trousered 3.5 percent….so on a 200,000k salary we are talking 7 grand !
The main issue with the unions waiting until now to accept the offer that was offered in April is that the back money will be paid in a lumsum which means the members on low pay reciving benifits to top up their pay will now have their benifit cut because it will seem as if they are getting paid more than they really are.
The unions are now the cause of low paid workers losing money and the back money will be eroded and some may have to pay money back to the DWP.
The pay rises are not great but if we are being honest over the past 2 years the lowest paid has recived a 20% pay rise and if offered the same £1925 in 24/25 this will be a pay rise of 29% over 3 years.
The unions will now be meeting to work out what they will be asking for in April, they would need to have a back up plan for when the goverment refuse it rather than waiting 8 months to accept the offer and hitting the lowest paid workers as they will see no benifit to the back pay.
What we require is pay restoration…..and the Unions need to get on with this at pace and not just every April…then mess about for 8 months rinse and repeat!
So no extra days holiday this year meaning we get less than last year! As money is tight then why not try to reduce working hours, go for a reduction of 2hours per week!
Our hours were increased 15 or so years ago by roughly this amount by the unions, from 35,50 to 37, now let’s get it not just back but lower so we have more work life balance and if you can get us £2,000 next year plus this then that’s a good job done for once
Good idea but to achieve pay restoration i.e. the salary we have lost over15 years by way of political choice (austerity) by cutting hours, a couple doesn’t get close….more like a four day week and £1925 next year….
If I started after April 1st 2023 at a LA then will I receive any backdated pay or do you have to have been working since before April? I understand that we will receive the pay rise but not sure on the back dated pay.
Hi Emily
Thanks for that.
I’m not sure of the answer – I would have assumed that, were you receiving the pay rise, you should get the backpay back to your start date but I would check with your LA on this.
Thanks,
Mithran
£1925: a pound an hour for everyone with no regard to years of experience or high level qualifications of the individual. Is it only me that is feeling miffed?
you might be miffed but there is already differing pay grades…that does not mean the poorer workers should be made exponentially poorer year on year….I am in favor of fixed pay rises…we need a more equitable fairer country….
NOT getting backpay from April only September.
Our trust say their financial year runs from September and because of that our backpay will only be back to the 1st September.
Can this be right?
Thanks and sorry to hear that. I would check with your union (if you’re a member) or otherwise double check with HR to explain the reasoning.
Hi our school received a letter from the Head last Friday saying as they were only informed about the accepted pay award that week would would not receive it until JANUARY as “ December is a short month” we get paid on the 20th of each month – a neighbouring borough gets paid on the 15th of each month but are getting their’s in December. Can schools chose to delay the pay award?
Glad to see it’s finally settled. Unfortunately I changed jobs last month so I’m not sure I’ll have mine backdated?
I changed jobs in July- went from one academy to another. I’d like a bit more guidance than old employer may pay if it is requested.
> is there any document/ precedent with a wording about this that I can show my previous employer?
P.s although any extra tax should find its way back to you- the enlarged payment likely to mean more NI is charged overall I think
Can anyone advise, my organisation has said they will only honour 50% of the pay award going forward and will only back date 50% of the award to 1 April.
They’re going to review this quarterly and will consider giving the full award when it is financially viable and also consider whether they backdate it.
Where do employees stand on this, I would have thought the organisation was obligated to comply with the rise?