NJC Pay Bulletin
2026 NJC Pay Claim:
REMINDER:
We are holding a Branch general meeting regarding the 2026 pay claim ballot - Tuesday 30th June 2026 at 4pm
Please check your emails or contact the branch if you do not have the link.
NJC Pay offer letter March 2026
Local government pay has fallen significantly in real terms in recent years. After continuing disappointing pay offers, the latest offer of just 3.3% is not good enough and we deserve better.
UNISON is running an industrial action ballot in England and Cymru which opens on Thursday 9 July 2026. We need a strong YES vote for strike action to show our employers that the offer needs to reflect the hard work we do.
Your ballot paper will be sent to your home address. Voting takes just a few seconds, so make sure you return your ballot without delay.
For further information about this ballot and campaign please visit: unison.org.uk/campaigns/council-and-school-pay
We will be holding general meetings to discuss the ballot and any queries members might have, and will share the information relating to the ballot shortly.
Timeline for the ballot:
Thursday 9 July: your ballot paper will be posted out from this date in a purple envelope.
Thursday 23 July: deadline for new members to join UNISON and get a vote in this ballot.
Thursday 30 July: last chance to order a replacement ballot paper.
Thursday 6 August: the ballot closes at 10am, late ballots will not be counted
There are lots of ways to get involved in the fight for fair pay:
Email your MP - Send an email to your elected national politicians, to ask them to use their influence to press the government to fund councils properly, so that they can afford better pay increases – unison.org.uk/email-mp2026
Contact your councillor - We are asking you to email your councillor and urge them to use their authority to support a decent pay rise for the hard-working staff who are tirelessly delivering vital local services – unison.org.uk/email-cllr
Spread the word - There’s strength in numbers; the more members we have involved in this campaign, the bigger the impact. Speak to your colleagues and encourage them to join UNISON – join.unison.org.uk
Get active on social media - Spread awareness of the pay campaign on your social media channels to increase support. Plus, reshare posts from UNISON’s channels.
Keep your details up to date - Make sure that your membership details are always up to date, so you don’t miss out on important news. You can check what details we currently have via MyUNISON – unison.org.uk/my-unison
Archived:
July 2025 Pay agreement GLPC Letter
Pay Award April 2025
Emps to NJC TUs pay offer 22Apr25
Emps-to-CO-TUs-pay-offer-22Apr25
JNC pay claim for 2025-26 for England and Wales.
Council and School Pay 2024
Settlement News
The National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Government Services covers the largest group of employees for collective bargaining purposes in the UK. We did not meet the required turnout threshold of 50% in enough larger employers to enable strike action that would result in an improved pay offer. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with any industrial action.
The NJC Committee took the decision that, in light of these results, the 2024 NJC pay dispute should be settled. They wrote to the employers on 22nd October 2024 and encouraged them to implement this pay award as swiftly as possible.
In Enfield this translates to an equivalent offer of £1,491 on Outer London pay points up to and including spine point 48. Above this pay point an increase of 2.50 per cent will apply. We are already in discussion with the London Borough of Enfield regarding the settlement being paid at the earliest implementation date and are hopeful that the pay settlement and retrospective back pay, will be included in your November pay. Discussions have also been started with all other NJC Employers to have the settlement implemented as soon as possible.
Click here to see the letter from 22nd October detailing all the salary arrangements for London, including the new Outer London Pay Spines and overtime & allowance changes.
The NJC Committee will be meeting in November to urgently consult on and submit a joint pay claim for 2025.
If possible, can you please let any past colleagues, who have left since 1st April 2024, know that they may be entitled to back pay for the period from 1/4/2024 till their leaving date. They would need to contact their employer and ask. Due to GDPR we cannot contact members who have left.
History
Unison originally requested a Pay Award of
“The claim calls for a substantial increase of £3,000 or 10%, whichever is the greater, on all spinal column points, from 1 April 2024.”
click here to see the full details of the Pay Award Unison is requesting
The Employers Side Response as at 16/5/24
The Employers Side have responded with the following offer:
“The National Employers wish to make the following full and final, one-year (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025) offer:
• With effect from 1 April 2024, an increase of £1,290 (pro rata for part-time employees) to be paid as a consolidated, permanent addition on all NJC pay points 2 to 43 inclusive. The equivalent percentage increases to each pay point are shown at Annex A
• With effect from 1 April 2024, an increase of 2.50 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 5.41)
• With effect from 1 April 2024 an increase of 2.50 per cent on all allowances (as listed in the 2023 NJC pay agreement circular dated 1 November 2023)”
click here to see the full Employers Offer Letter