FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who does this apply to?
Everyone on NJC Green Book conditions working in councils, schools, academies and various other bodies.
Staff in England, Wales & Northern Ireland.
Pay offer is a two-year pay deal from 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2020.
Who doesn't this apply to?
Staff on Craft Red Book terms, staff on Chief Officer Terms, or staffs coming under any pay arrangements other than the NJC Green Book. For example, staff working in academies which do not follow green book terms and
conditions.
For Craft and Chief Officers there are on-going discussions but we can expect similar proposals
I work in an academy, how can I know if the proposals apply to me?
For the vast majority of academy staff the pay offer will apply because your pay is still determined by NJC. However, for a small number pay may not be determined in this way. For example, in a multi academy trust that has moved away from NJC and negotiates pay separately, where staff have a new academy contract.
If you are unsure, contact your local GMB branch.
What are Spinal Column Points and how do they relate to me?
Spinal Column Points (SCPs) are a set of salary levels. Together they make up the national pay spine, which is what the NJC negotiates on. The lowest in 2018 will be SCP6 and the highest is SCP49, which is £44,690 per annum. These salary levels are used by employers to design their local pay grades or pay scales and there are many variations.
To see how the SCPs relate to you, look at the chart in Annex B which sets out the pay proposals for each SCP. Find your salary or hourly pay rate to see what you would get.
What are the proposals worth?
The total increase to the national pay-bill over the two-year period would be 5.584%
What about part-time workers?
The percentage increase would be applied in full to your actual salary.
I have more than one job, what about me?
The percentage increase is applied in full to your salary for each job, providing they are all for the same employer.
Why does the Pay Spine need to change?
Austerity and Government Pay Policy to cap pay at 1% for almost a decade has led to differentials being eroded between the pay spines. This pay offer has sought to address this problem. By setting the starting rate to £8.50 on 1st April 2018 and £9.00 on 1st April 2019 this gives some headroom to even out differentials between the pay spine points. Annex B sets out the new pay spine. The work to assimilate your local pay spine will require some work and GMB reps will be suitably briefed on how best to do this.
My employer pays me a Living Wage supplement, what happens to me?
The percentage increase will apply to your basic pay. It is up to your employer, but they are likely to reduce the supplement to keep your total pay at the Living Wage.
The Foundation Living Wage is currently £10.20 in London and £8.75 in the rest of the country (as of November 2017).
What about pensions?
Percentage increases are pensionable (and subject to National Insurance and tax) and the technical experts are working through the details of this.
What about leavers and new starters?
Anyone who leaves before April 2018, i.e. before any of these proposals would become effective, would not get anything.
A new starter would get whatever is applicable from the day they join.
I'm on official leave, what happens to me?
Whether on maternity leave, adoption leave, parental leave or sick leave, the percentage increases will apply to basic pay. However, they are not paid to anyone on a career break.
What’s the schedule for the consultation?
GMB is carrying out a full postal vote. The voting papers will go out at the end of January 2018 and will be counted on 2nd March 2018. The other trade unions are also carrying out consultations according to their normal practices and all aim to finish around early March 2018.
If accepted by the majority of the union membership then the offer will apply from 1st April, 2018. Regular bulletins are being issued by the GMB at can be found at the following link: https://www.gmb.org.uk/campaigns/local-government-pay/overview
Not a member?
Join today at www.gmbnorthwest.co.uk/join-now and a voting paper on the offer will be issued to you. Once a member, we will ensure the appropriate pay uplift is applied. The GMB has an army of GMB reps across your workplaces to ensure the offer if accepted is applied properly.
Annex A
Employer’s Pay Offer
Heather Wakefield, Rehana Azam, Jim Kennedy
Trade Union Side Secretaries
NJC for Local Government Services
c/o UNISON Centre
130 Euston Road
London NW1 2AY
5 December 2017
Dear Heather, Rehana and Jim,
LOCAL GOVERNMENT PAY 2018
I am writing on behalf of the Employers’ Side of the NJC to respond formally to the Trade Union Side’s pay claim.
The National Employers wish to make the following final offer:
From 1 April 2018:
· On SCP 6, £1,380 (equivalent to 9.191%)
· On SCP 7, £1,380 (equivalent to 9.130%)
· On SCP 8, £1,380 (equivalent to 9.052%)
· On SCP 9, £1,380 (equivalent to 8.976%)
· On SCP 10, £1,250 (equivalent to 8.006%)
· On SCP 11, £1,200 (equivalent to 7.592%)
· On SCP 12, £1,050 (equivalent to 6.512%)
· On SCP 13, £900 (equivalent to 5.458%)
· On SCP 14, £900 (equivalent to 5.363%)
· On SCP 15, £900 (equivalent to 5.272%)
· On SCP 16, £900 (equivalent to 5.167%)
· On SCP 17, £900 (equivalent to 5.064%)
· On SCP 18, £800 (equivalent to 4.427%)
· On SCP 19, £700 (equivalent to 3.734%)
· On SCPs 20 and above, 2.0%
The Employers acknowledge the constructive way in which the NJC Pay Spine Review Group has worked together over the past eighteen months and therefore propose that a revised pay spine be introduced with effect from 1 April 2019. The Employers’ detailed offer in regard to this is attached as Annex A.
The proposed 2019 pay spine is based on the following:
- A bottom rate of £9.00 per hour (£17,364) on new SCP1 (equivalent to old SCP6)
- ‘Pairing off’ old SCPs 6-17 incl to create new SCPs 1-6 incl
- Equal steps of 2.0% between each new SCPs 1 to 22 incl (equivalent to old SCPs 6-28 incl)
- Creating equal steps between pay points would introduce new SCPs 10, 13, 16, 18 and 21 to which no old SCPs would assimilate. This would mean that in some organisations the current number of pay points in a grade would change. The Employers therefore suggest that we work together to consider appropriate advice as such issues arise
- On new SCPs 23 and above (equivalent to old SCPs 29 and above), 2.0%
We trust that you will now put this offer to your members for consultation and understand that you will be considering this over the next few days.
Simon Pannell
Employers’ Secretary
Annex B
New Pay Spine
|
1 April 2018 |
1 April 2019 |
|||||
|
SCP |
£ per annum |
£ per hour* |
New SCP |
£ per annum |
£ per hour* |
Old SCP[s] |
|
6 |
£16,394 |
£8.50 |
1 |
£17,364 |
£9.00 |
6/7 |
|
7 |
£16,495 |
£8.55 |
||||
|
8 |
£16,626 |
£8.62 |
2 |
£17,711 |
£9.18 |
8/9 |
|
9 |
£16,755 |
£8.68 |
||||
|
10 |
£16,863 |
£8.74 |
3 |
£18,065 |
£9.36 |
10/11 |
|
11 |
£17,007 |
£8.82 |
||||
|
12 |
£17,173 |
£8.90 |
4 |
£18,426 |
£9.55 |
12/13 |
|
13 |
£17,391 |
£9.01 |
||||
|
14 |
£17,681 |
£9.16 |
5 |
£18,795 |
£9.74 |
14/15 |
|
15 |
£17,972 |
£9.32 |
||||
|
16 |
£18,319 |
£9.50 |
6 |
£19,171 |
£9.94 |
16/17 |
|
17 |
£18,672 |
£9.68 |
||||
|
18 |
£18,870 |
£9.78 |
7 |
£19,554 |
£10.14 |
18 |
|
19 |
£19,446 |
£10.08 |
8 |
£19,945 |
£10.34 |
19 |
|
20 |
£19,819 |
£10.27 |
9 |
£20,344 |
£10.54 |
20 |
|
|
10 |
£20,751 |
£10.76 |
|
||
|
21 |
£20,541 |
£10.65 |
11 |
£21,166 |
£10.97 |
21 |
|
22 |
£21,074 |
£10.92 |
12 |
£21,589 |
£11.19 |
22 |
|
|
13 |
£22,021 |
£11.41 |
|
||
|
23 |
£21,693 |
£11.24 |
14 |
£22,462 |
£11.64 |
23 |
|
24 |
£22,401 |
£11.61 |
15 |
£22,911 |
£11.88 |
24 |
|
|
16 |
£23,369 |
£12.11 |
|
||
|
25 |
£23,111 |
£11.98 |
17 |
£23,836 |
£12.35 |
25 |
|
|
18 |
£24,313 |
£12.60 |
|
||
|
26 |
£23,866 |
£12.37 |
19 |
£24,799 |
£12.85 |
26 |
|
27 |
£24,657 |
£12.78 |
20 |
£25,295 |
£13.11 |
27 |
|
|
21 |
£25,801 |
£13.37 |
|
||
|
28 |
£25,463 |
£13.20 |
22 |
£26,317 |
£13.64 |
28 |
|
29 |
£26,470 |
£13.72 |
23 |
£26,999 |
£13.99 |
29 |
|
30 |
£27,358 |
£14.18 |
24 |
£27,905 |
£14.46 |
30 |
|
31 |
£28,221 |
£14.63 |
25 |
£28,785 |
£14.92 |
31 |
|
32 |
£29,055 |
£15.06 |
26 |
£29,636 |
£15.36 |
32 |
|
33 |
£29,909 |
£15.50 |
27 |
£30,507 |
£15.81 |
33 |
|
34 |
£30,756 |
£15.94 |
28 |
£31,371 |
£16.26 |
34 |
|
35 |
£31,401 |
£16.28 |
29 |
£32,029 |
£16.60 |
35 |
|
36 |
£32,233 |
£16.71 |
30 |
£32,878 |
£17.04 |
36 |
|
37 |
£33,136 |
£17.18 |
31 |
£33,799 |
£17.52 |
37 |
|
38 |
£34,106 |
£17.68 |
32 |
£34,788 |
£18.03 |
38 |
|
39 |
£35,229 |
£18.26 |
33 |
£35,934 |
£18.63 |
39 |
|
40 |
£36,153 |
£18.74 |
34 |
£36,876 |
£19.11 |
40 |
|
41 |
£37,107 |
£19.23 |
35 |
£37,849 |
£19.62 |
41 |
|
42 |
£38,052 |
£19.72 |
36 |
£38,813 |
£20.12 |
42 |
|
43 |
£39,002 |
£20.22 |
37 |
£39,782 |
£20.62 |
43 |
|
44 |
£39,961 |
£20.71 |
38 |
£40,760 |
£21.13 |
44 |
|
45 |
£40,858 |
£21.18 |
39 |
£41,675 |
£21.60 |
45 |
|
46 |
£41,846 |
£21.69 |
40 |
£42,683 |
£22.12 |
46 |
|
47 |
£42,806 |
£22.19 |
41 |
£43,662 |
£22.63 |
47 |
|
48 |
£43,757 |
£22.68 |
42 |
£44,632 |
£23.13 |
48 |
|
49 |
£44,697 |
£23.17 |
43 |
£45,591 |
£23.63 |
49 |
*hourly rate calculated by dividing annual salary by 52.143 weeks (which is 365 days divided by 7) and then divided by 37 hours (the standard working week in the National Agreement ‘Green Book’)
