The NJC unions (UNISON, GMB and Unite) have lodged pay and T&Cs claims for local government (‘Green Book’) staff for 2021 which seek:
- A substantial increase with a minimum of 10% on all spinal column points
- Introduction of a homeworking allowance for all staff who are working from home
- A national minimum agreement on homeworking policies for all councils
- A reduction of the working week to 35 hours with no loss of pay, and a reduction to 34 hours a week in London. Part-time staff to be given a choice of a pro rata reduction, or retaining the same hours and being paid a higher percentage of FTE
- A minimum of 25 days annual leave, plus public holidays and statutory days, for all starting employees, plus an extra day holiday on all other holiday rates that depend on service
- An agreement on a best practice national programme of mental health support for all local authorities and school staff
- A joint review of job descriptions, routes for career developments and pay banding for school support staff, and completion of the outstanding work of the joint term-time only review group
- A joint review of the provisions in the Green Book for maternity / paternity / shared parental / adoption leave
The National Employers will be meeting later this week for an initial discussion. Councils will be consulted during March at the usual round of [virtual] regional pay consultation briefings. The National Employers will then consider feedback from those events before responding formally to the unions on a date yet to be agreed, possibly in April or May.