Monday 24 August

Agreement has been reached on the 2026 pay award for local government services (‘Green Book’) employees. The details are set out in the following circular:

Local government services pay - circular

For a sixth consecutive year, Unite has refused to have its details included in the pay agreement circular. This is disappointing but does not prevent a formal collective agreement from being reached as the necessary Constitutional requirement for a majority on each Side of the NJC to be in favour has been met, which means the pay award can now be implemented.

Tuesday 23 June

As advised previously, UNISON rejected the National Employers’ full and final 3.30 per cent pay offer without putting it to a consultation of its members. It will be conducting strike ballots from 9 July to 6 August in some councils and schools in England and Wales. It is in the process of informing its members which employers will be targeted. Strike ballots in Northern Ireland will follow in the autumn (because of different school term dates and industrial action legislation). The law requires UNISON to provide notice to an employer of an industrial action ballot not later than the seventh day before the opening day of the ballot. More details are set out in our comprehensive industrial action guidanceand associated FAQs.

GMB members voted last month to reject the offer. Its national committee met last week and GMB has this afternoon (23 June) announced that, “…further consultation will now take place at local level to determine potential employers and workplaces where GMB can deliver targeted local industrial action.”

Unite also rejected the offer without consulting its members. It has said it, “…will be announcing next steps soon, including targeted strike ballots over the summer.”

Thursday 28 May

GMB adopted a neutral position in its consultation on the NJC pay offer, leaving its members to decide for themselves whether to accept or reject it. The consultation closed last Fri 22 May.

GMB has announced that its members have voted to reject the offer. Please see attached letter here.

Trade Unions are not required to confirm the turnout or numbers who voted accept / reject. That requirement applies only in the case of formal industrial action ballots.

Wednesday 16 April

The NJC Trade Union Side has formally responded to the full and final pay offer made by the National Employers on 24 March.

Each union’s national committee met last week to agree its position.

UNISON and Unite have both rejected the offer without undertaking a wider membership consultation.

GMB has taken a different approach and has decided to consult its membership on a neutral basis, allowing members to decide whether to accept or reject the offer. GMB’s consultation will close on Friday 22 May.

Further to this, UNISON has  advised the National Employers that it intends to run disaggregated ballots for industrial action in some, but not all, councils, schools and NJC employer organisations. UNISON has not yet confirmed which employers will be included.

UNISON’s industrial action ballots will run from 9 July to 6 August. The union has stated that the delay before balloting begins is due to the need to cleanse and verify its membership records to ensure legal compliance with the requirements for industrial action ballots.

Unite has not yet confirmed its next steps.

Tuesday 24 March

The National Employers met  and agreed to make one-year, full and final pay offers of 3.30 per cent to each of local government services (‘Green Book’) employees; JNC local authority Chf Officers; and JNC local authority Chf Execs.

Copies of each of the offer letters are here:

National Employers to Trade Unions

National Employers to Chief Officers

National Employers to Chief Executives

Monday 01 December

The LGA received the attached 2026 pay claim from the NJC unions. The headline claim is for one year and seeks:

• An increase of at least £3,000 or 10 per cent (whichever is greater) across all NJC spinal column points
• A minimum pay rate of £15 an hour for the NJC pay spine
• A two-hour reduction in the working week
• An increase of one day annual leave
• The ability of all school support staff to take a day of paid leave during term time
• The abolition of Level 1 Teaching Assistant role and instead all Level 1 role holders be moved onto Level 2

However, In the event of a multi-year settlement being proposed, the unions would seek the following structure to a three-year agreement:

• Year 1: £3,000 or 10 per cent (whichever is greater) on all spinal column points, alongside the introduction of a £15 minimum hourly rate
• Year 2: An increase of RPI + 3 per cent
• Year 3: An increase of RPI + 2 per cent

In line with normal practice, we won’t be issuing a media statement but in response to queries will say, “the National Employers will consult councils to seek their views on the claim and will respond formally to the unions in due course”

• 2026 Pay Claim
• 2026 Pay Claim cover letter

Monday 24 August

Agreement has been reached today on the 2026 pay award for JNC Chief Executives. The details are set out in the below circular:

JNC Chief Executive pay agreement circular

Tuesday 24 June

ALACE, the union for local authority Chief Executives, has ‘welcomed’ the National Employers’ full and final 3.30 per cent pay offer but has said it, “…will not be in a position to formally accept the offer until the settlement for the NJC has been confirmed.”

Tuesday 24 March

The National Employers met  and agreed to make one-year, full and final pay offers of 3.30 per cent to each of local government services (‘Green Book’) employees; JNC local authority Chf Officers; and JNC local authority Chf Execs.

Copies of each of the offer letters are here:

National Employers to Trade Unions

National Employers to Chief Officers

National Employers to Chief Executives

01 December

ALACE has lodged its claim on behalf of local authority Chief Executives. It seeks:

• A pay inc2026 Chf Exec pay claim 01Dec25rease for all chief executives in April 2026 and subsequent years that is the same percentage increase (or equivalent percentage if expressed in £s) as those local government colleagues at the top point of the NJC scale
• If the 2026 pay deal for NJC staff involves any further increase in annual leave, we would expect to see a matching increase in the minimum leave allowance for chief executives

The pay claim in respect of local authority Chief Officers is not expected to be tabled until the new year.

More information here.

Tuesday 23 June

On 2 June, agreement was reached with GMB and UNISON, on the 2025/26 pay award of 3.30 per cent to local authority Chief Officers.

Tuesday 02 June

Agreement has been reached (as of 02 June) with the JNC Staff Side unions (GMB and UNISON) on the 2025/26 pay award of 3.30 per cent for local authority Chief Officers, covering the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. 

The circular linked here sets out the details.

Tuesday 24 March

The National Employers met  and agreed to make one-year, full and final pay offers of 3.30 per cent to each of local government services (‘Green Book’) employees; JNC local authority Chf Officers; and JNC local authority Chf Execs.

Copies of each of the offer letters are here:

National Employers to Trade Unions

National Employers to Chief Officers

National Employers to Chief Executives

02 February 2026

The LGA received the 2026 pay claim from the unions representing local authority Chief Officers. The claim seeks: 

• An increase at of least 10 per cent or an increase that is no less favourable to Chief Officers than the NJC claim – as a step towards pay restoration
• An additional day of paid leave to align annual leave with NJC terms
• Jointly agree and circulate a national survey on the levels of stress, workload pressures, and unpaid overtime experienced by Chief Officers

Despite being told of our timetable, the unions have obviously missed the boat for the regional pay briefings.

No information received.

No information received.

Monday 24 August

Noindication of when agreement might be reached on the JNC (‘Red Book’) Craftworkers 2025 pay award.

Unite continues to reject the National Employers’ full and final 3.20 per cent pay offer (covering the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026). GMB – the other JNC Craft union – has been ready since summer 2025 to accept the offer that was made on 22 April 2025. Unfortunately, GMB does not have enough seats on the JNC unions’ national committee to reach an agreement with the national employers on its own.

The National Employers advise very strongly against imposing the full and final pay offer ahead of a national collective agreement being finalised. To do so would not only fragment the unity of the employers’ position but would also leave councils vulnerable to questions being asked by auditors about why, in the absence of a national collective agreement, expenditure had been unnecessarily incurred. Perhaps more importantly, councils would need to consider very carefully the wider legal issues, including those arising out of the cases of Kostal UK Limited v Dunkley and INEOS Infrastructure Grangemouth Limited v Jones & others.

The JNC Craft unions have not lodged a 2026 pay claim.

23 June

Unite continues to reject the National Employers’ full and final 3.20 per cent pay offer (covering the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026). GMB – the other JNC Craft union – has been ready since last summer to accept the offer that was made on 22 April 2025. Unfortunately, GMB does not have enough seats on the JNC unions’ national committee to reach an agreement with the national employers on its own.

The National Employers advise very strongly against imposing any pay offer before the collective bargaining process has concluded. To do so would not only fragment the unity of the employers’ position but would also leave employers vulnerable to questions being asked by auditors about why, in the absence of a national collective agreement, expenditure has been unnecessarily incurred. Perhaps more importantly, employers would need to consider very carefully the wider legal issues, including those arising out of the cases of Kostal UK Limited v Dunkley and INEOS Infrastructure Grangemouth Limited v Jones & others.

The JNC Craft unions have not lodged a 2026 pay claim.

13 February 2026

TRADE UNION AND LABOUR RELATIONS (CONSOLIDATION) ACT 1992: NOTICE TO EMPLOYER OF AN OFFICIAL INDUSTRIAL ACTION BALLOT

Unite Intends to hold a ballot for industrial action. The LGA reasonably believe that ballot papers will be dispatched on 19 February 2026.

The ballot is in relation to a trade dispute over:

• The failure to table a pay offer for 2025 that is acceptable to Unite members. [LGA are urgently seekimng clarity from Unite on whether this is a typo and should actually say ‘2025’, or whether it is registering a dispute because ‘the employers’ (local or national?) haven’t made an offer for 2026, despite the National Employers not having received a 2026 pay claim from the JNC Craft unions, nor having yet made a pay offer to any other LG group]
• The unilateral removal of the apprentice structure from union agreements.
• The undermining of the grade structure and imposition of a job evaluation process without agreement.
• A breakdown in industrial relations

 A reminder of the National Employers’ full and final offer that was made on 22 April 2025. Since then, the employers have reaffirmed to Unite six times (once in a face-to-face [online] meeting, and five times in writing) in that the offer is full and final.

GMB has said since last summer it is ready to accept the offer, but it does not have enough seats on the JNC unions’ national committee to reach an agreement with the national employers on its own.

28 July 2026

A pay agreement has been reached for Soulbury Officers for 2026. This is a 3.6% increase on all pay points and allowances from 1 September 2026.

JESC 239 - Soulbury Officers' Pay Agreement - 2026.

05 March 2026

The LGA have reached a pay agreement with the Soulbury Trade Unions on a pay award for 2025 which is a 3.2% pay increase to be backdated to 1 September 2025. Please see the Joint Education Services Circular (JESC 238).

The Soulbury Trade Unions intend to submit their pay and conditions claim for 2006 later this month.

No information received.

No information received.

Wednesday 19 August

Latest circular from the JNC for Coroners (as was) Management Side

JNC Coroners - Management side circulare to Local Authorities

Thursday 9 July

Latest circular from the JNC for Coroners (as was) Management Side

JNC Coroners - Management side circulare to Local Authorities

Thursday 7 May

Update on pay bargining situation received. For details see:

JNC Coroners - Management side update

No information received.

No information received.