National Joint Council gives council staff 2.75% pay rise

National Joint Council (NJC) has awarded all local government staff with a 2.75% pay increase.

Employees will see their pay backdated to April 2020 after the employees' representatives GMB and Unite agreed to the terms. The offer was rejected by Unite, however, in line with the constitution of the NJC, the deal was approved due to the majority of the union parties accepting the terms of the agreement.

Additionally, employees who have worked for the council for less than five years will see their annual paid leave rise from 21 days to 22 days The NJC has also agreed that it will begin discussions to review the causes of workplace stress and mental health in the coming months.

Jon Richards, head of local government at Unison, said: “Council staff have gone above and beyond to keep communities safe and services running over the past few months.

“Work will now begin on next year’s claim and employers must work with us to secure additional funding from the government. This is so council workers get the decent, fair reward they deserve.”

The NJC was unavailable to comment at time of publication.