The GMB union has submitted the following pay claim for our members covered by the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) for Chief Officers of Local Authorities:
An increase of RPI + 2% for all Chief Officers covered by JNC terms and conditions
An additional day of annual leave for all Chief Officers to be implemented from 1 April 2023
An additional day of annual leave for personal or well-being purposes
GMB union members, Chief Officers, deserve a pay rise and an extra day’s annual leave. The pay of Chief Officers earning below £100,000 has fallen in real terms by 40 per cent since April 2008 while comparable private sector rates have increased.
Local Government Chief Officers have shouldered an exceptional burden during the pandemic and the ongoing financial strain on local government services and this needs to be fairly rewarded especially as RPI remains in double figures and the cost of living crisis continues. Compared to the RPI inflation measure, a Chief Officer will have lost between 36 and 39 per cent since the start of pay austerity in local government.
Our members continue to report dangerously high workloads, which in some cases have increased significantly over the last 12 months. The long hours worked by Chief Officers are reflected in official data. ONS Labour Force Survey data suggests that Chief Officers work longer regular hours, on average, than their counterparts in other sectors, and that these hours are supplemented by very high rates of unpaid overtime working.
We call on JNC employers to recognise this contribution and make our members an offer in line with the NJC Green Book claim in order to promote a single organisational ethos.
Put Simply: Chief Officers Deserve More
