The pay claim for 2025, covering council and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has now been submitted.
The claim was submitted by the union side National Joint Council (NJC) made up of UNISON, UNITE and the GMB.
The unions’ headline demand is for an increase of at least £3,000 on all spinal
column points, from 1 April 2025.
In addition, the claim calls for:
• A clear plan to reach a minimum pay rate of £15 an hour
• One extra day of annual leave for all staff
• A reduction in the working week by two hours, with no loss of pay
• The ability for school staff to take [at least] one day of their annual leave during term time, with no loss of pay
The campaign in support of the claim will be launched imminently, with a wide range of resources, materials and events planned.
The Employers’ Side is hosting briefings from mid February until mid March, to get the view of local authorities on what offer should be made. We are urging the Employers to make an offer as soon as possible after that, and to engage in meaningful negotiations.
As we build the campaign, it is of course vital that members, branches, regions and the national union work together to push the employers to make a decent offer, and to demand full funding for local government pay from central government.
To win this campaign we need to recruit new members and new activists, so that we can build our collective strength as we fight for fair pay.
One of the frustrations with the 2024 campaign was how long it took. UNISON will ensure that every stage of the 2025 campaign is carried out as quickly as possible, and we will push the Employers and the other NJC unions to do the same.