National Employers (NJC Green Book) make full and final pay offer for 2025/26

On 22 April, the National Employers made the following full and final, one-year offer for the pay year 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

The headline details of the offer are:

• With effect from 1 April 2025, an increase of 3.2% to be paid as a consolidated, permanent addition on all NJC pay points 2 to 43 inclusive and on all pay points above the maximum of the pay spine but graded below deputy chief officer (in accordance with Green Book Part 2 Para 5.4 posts paid above the maximum of the pay spine but graded below deputy chief officer are within scope of the NJC. The pay levels for such posts are determined locally, but once fixed are increased in line with agreements reached by the NJC).
• With effect from 1 April 2025 an increase of 3.2% on all allowances.
• With effect from 1 April 2026, the deletion of pay point 2 from the NJC pay spine.

In response to other elements of the claim:

• A phased approach to reaching a minimum pay rate of £15 an hour in a maximum of two years, sooner if possible
  The Employers rejected this element of the claim. To achieve this objective the bottom pay point of the NJC pay spine would need to increase by 22.35%  over the period 2025-27, the National Employers deemed this to be prohibitively expensive in the present financial climate.
• One extra day of annual leave for all staff
  The Employers rejected this element of the claim. All NJC employees currently receive a generous minimum of 23 days’ leave (with a further three days after five years’ service), plus two extra statutory days, plus public holidays. Many councils have a more generous basic leave entitlement.
• A reduction in the working week by two hours, with no loss of pay
  The Employers rejected this element of the claim in relation to a proposed 35-hour week (34 in London) on the grounds that such a reduction would be out of line with norms in local government and would result in an increase in costs that would adversely affect local authority services.
• The ability for school staff to take (at least) one day of their annual leave during term time, with no loss of pay
  The Employers rejected this element of the claim on grounds of cost and also for not being an appropriate change at this time where  the reinstatement of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) is expected.  The SSSNB  will, in future,  have responsibility for considering changes to pay and conditions for this group. 

We will continue to update the HR hub with the  NJC Unions responses once received,  so keep an eye out for further developments.