National Trust

Image credit: National Trust

Employees at conservation organisation the National Trust who are members of the trade union Prospect, have voted to accept a 4.5% pay increase.

The 4.5% pay rise will be effective from 1 April 2018 and will benefit 8,000 employees.

Prospect initiated talks regarding pay increases in summer 2017 and submitted a formal pay claim to the National Trust in December 2017.

Tina Lewis, director of people and legal services at the National Trust, said: “It’s important that we recognise the hard work of our staff and reward high performance. Following discussions with Prospect, this year we will invest an extra 4.5% in our total pay budget.

“A bigger proportion of this than ever before will be invested in our lower paid staff and we continue to pay the national living wage as a minimum. To ensure we retain, recruit and reward great employees, we need to pay our people a competitive salary which reflects the current market rates.”

Matt Sperring, negotiations officer at Prospect, added: “This successful pay claim has come about because of the open and honest relationship Prospect has with the National Trust.

“Employers listening and engaging with their workforce is the key to continued productivity and strong performance. The National Trust’s pay offer is recognition of the valuable contribution its staff make which has led to an uplift in its financial performance over the last 12 months.”