8 June 2016

2016-2018 NJC Pay Update

Branches should know by now that, at its last meeting on 27 April, the NJC Committee voted to accept the NJC pay offer for 2016 -18. We have received a small number of enquiries about how the decision was made, to which we have replied. This bulletin is to update branches who may not have received full reports about that decision and how it was made.

Meetings with the employers and Joint Trade Union Side

This bulletin also informs you of subsequent discussions with the Local Government Association (LGA) and within the Joint Trade Union Side Executive on progressing the reviews of the NJC pay spine and term-time working which formed part of the LGA’s offer.

How did the NJC Committee make the decision to accept the offer?

The vote to accept the pay offer followed reports from Regions. Four Regions – Cymru/Wales, Northern Ireland, Northern and South West - all reported that their Regional Local Government Committees had decided that they wanted to accept the offer and not proceed with a ballot for industrial action. East Midlands had voted to accept the offer in the initial consultation. Other Regions had also expressed doubt over their ability to mount effective industrial action.

The NJC Committee took its decision in the light of:

• Regional reports (as above)
• The decision of GMB to accept the offer
• Unite’s decision not to take all-out action
• The very low turn-out in the consultation
• The small percentage of members overall voting to reject the offer
• The implications of the above for our ability to mobilise strike action and achieve a higher offer from the LGA

In taking the decision, the NJC Committee also voted in effect not to proceed with the member consultation over the proposed initial two-day strike in September, with further action to follow, which had been proposed by the Industrial Action Committee.

Role of the NJC Committee in bargaining and decisions on pay

The NJC Committee is a sector committee, established by the SGE in its review of Service Group structures in 2010 and agreed by Local Government conference that year. The structures report says that:

"Responsibility for formulation of claims and responses to pay offers and other negotiations would continue to lie within each bargaining group, taking into account strategic policy agreed by the Pay and Service Conditions Working Group."

Other sectors within the Local Government Service Group

The Pay and Service Conditions Working Group is a sub group of the SGE which sets "the policy parameters for bargaining and negotiating, with the involvement of sectors." The Chairs of each sector committee attend this group, alongside representatives from each UK nation.

The other sector committees within the Local Government Service Group are: Scottish Joint Council, Chief Officers and Senior Managers JNC, Youth and Community Workers JNC, FE and 6th form colleges, Shadow Schools Sector Committee, Foods Standards Agency, Ofsted and Care Quality Commission.

In contrast, the Health and Higher Education SGE’s contain only one bargaining group – albeit with occupational sub groups in Health. In those Service Groups, the trade union side in negotiations is therefore drawn from SGE members. There is no need for separate sector committees.

What has happened since?

The NJC Joint Secretaries met on 11 May and discussed the pay circular to councils and the reviews of the NJC pay spine and term-time working.

It was agreed that both Sides would exchange suggested principles and deadlines for the reviews by 3 July.

The Joint Trade Union Side Executive met on 2 June and had some initial discussion about each union’s objectives for the reviews. It was agreed that each union would exchange their ideas. The Executive also agreed some propose amendments to the Trade Union Side constitution which will be discussed at the NJC Committee.

The NJC Committee will meet today and give some detailed consideration to the reviews and the proposed changes to the TU Side constitution. Branches will receive a bulletin to update you on those discussions.