In June, the trade unions (UNISON, Unite, and GMB) submitted a pay claim demanding a substantial increase of either £2,000 or RPI (whichever is greater) on all spinal column points, from 1 April 2022.

The employer’s side have responded with a pay offer for 2022/23 for an increase of £1,925 on all NJC pay points, with effect from 1 April 2022. This amount would be added to every point on the pay scale as a fully consolidated pay increase.

This pay offer is much higher than members have seen in recent years and is the highest flat-rate offer made to the public sector this year. It would give members at the bottom end of the pay scale a 10.5% increase in pay – and more than three-quarters of employees would get a 6% pay rise or more.

The offer is also very close to the £2,000 which UNISON branches and the NJC committee agreed should be a key part of the pay claim.

Having said that, our claim was for £2,000 or RPI inflation, whichever is the higher. RPI inflation is currently 11.8%, so this offer doesn’t meet either of those aims, and it doesn’t deliver a pay increase that keeps up with the rising cost of living. 

By not keeping up with these costs, wages are worth less than before – effectively a pay cut – and that discrepancy between pay and inflation only increases for those higher up the pay spine.

What happens now?

Discussions with the employers have reached an end, making this the best offer that can be achieved by negotiations. So, UNISON is putting it to you, our members. We are consulting you on whether you wish to accept or reject this pay offer.

The UNISON NJC Committee is not making a recommendation that members should vote ‘accept’ or ‘reject’ – it’s totally your choice. It is vital that you make your voice heard on this matter so that we have a full picture of every member’s view.

The consultation is running until Monday 19 September. If you are an NJC member you should have received an email from after 19 August with a link to vote online so keep an eye on your emails and make sure to have your say!

If you have not received an email to take part, and think you should have, please email unison@bexley.gov.uk in the first instance and we will investigate.

You should be aware that if there is a majority vote to reject the offer, the next step would be an industrial action ballot to attempt to force the employers to make an improved offer so think carefully about what you feel would be the best option for you.

You can’t assume others will speak on your behalf, so add your voice to the conversation so your pay isn’t decided for you! 

What you can do

Vote in the consultation! This consultation is being run digitally by branches, so look out for an email from us containing your link to vote online. The deadline for voting is Monday 19 September so make sure you let us know if you haven’t had an email so we can include you and you can make your voice heard on this pay offer.

Other ways to get involved

Once you’ve voted in the consultation, there are lots of other ways you can get involved in the campaign and spread the word to colleagues and friends:

• Follow us on social media for the latest updates and to have your say on pay – just remember to use the hashtag #lgpay2022
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • twitter
• Check out our range of useful materials to learn more about the consultation and inform colleagues – they can be printed out via our online shop:
  • Download materials here
• There are branded graphics for social media, email and webpages:
  • Download graphics here (just like our header!)
• Make sure your details are up to date – it is crucial that all members play their part, so make sure we can contact you over the coming months about the fight for your pay rise. It takes two minutes:
  • Check on My UNISON
• Get your colleagues involved – if your colleagues aren’t members of UNISON already, encourage them to join! They can join online, it only takes five minutes:
  • Join UNISON