Support staff pay and conditions

Latest updates about support staff pay negotiations

December 2021

The survey of NEU support staff members revealed strong opposition to the employer's pay offer, but with a much lower majority of those responding saying that they would consider taking strike action in pursuit of an improved offer.

We will now await the results of the consultative exercises currently being run by the three local government unions - Unison, GMB and Unite.

Previous updates

In November, NEU support staff members in the state sector are currently being consulted on this years pay offer.

The recognised trade unions - Unison, GMB and Unite - have already rejected the employers' final offer of 1.75%, payable from April 1st 2021, and are moving towards conducting strike ballots to continue the fight against the below-inflation offer.  Now NEU is asking support staff members their view and whether they would be willing to lend support including potentially by taking part in strike action if any other unions which do so.

State Sector support staff members are asked to complete the short survey circulated by email by no later than Monday November 22nd.

In August, Unions rejected the latest pay offer for state sector education support staff and are considering balloting for industrial action.

The National Employers side of the National Joint Council (NJC) has made what it described as its “final” offer on July 27.

It included a 1.75 per cent rise for the vast majority of staff, but with a 2.75 per cent increase in pay for anyone earning less than £18,198 (Full Time Equivalent – FTE) a year.

An earlier offer of 1.5 per cent across the board was rejected by the trade unions represented on the NJC. The unions’ original pay claim in February was for a minimum of ten per cent and a 35-hour working week.

Any final agreement on pay will be backdated to April 1st.

The employers have made the following one-year offer to the unions representing the main local government NJC workforce:

• With effect from 1 April 2021, an increase of 1.50 per cent on all NJC pay points 1 and above
• Completion of the outstanding work of the joint Term-Time Only review group.

The employers have also proposed that the NJC begins immediate exploratory discussions on three other elements of the claim, as follows:

• A national minimum agreement on homeworking policies for all councils
• An agreement on a best practice national programme of mental health support for all local authorities and school staff
• A joint review of the provisions in the Green Book for maternity/paternity/shared parental/adoption leave

The trade unions have written to the National Employers to reject the 1.50% pay offer and have asked for urgent talks.

The employers will consider the unions’ letter and respond in due course.

The trade unions lodged the following pay claim for ‘Green Book’ staff, to be payable from April 1 2021: 

• A substantial increase with a minimum of 10% on all spinal column points 
• Introduction of a homeworking allowance for all staff who are working from home 
• A national minimum agreement on homeworking policies for all councils 
• A reduction of the working week to 35 hours with no loss of pay, and a reduction to 34 hours a week in London. Part-time staff to be given a choice of a pro rata reduction, or retaining the same hours and being paid a higher percentage of FTE 
• A minimum of 25 days annual leave, plus public holidays and statutory days, for all starting employees, plus an extra day holiday on all other holiday rates that depend on service 
• An agreement on a best practice national programme of mental health support for all local authorities and school staff 
• A joint review of job descriptions, routes for career developments and pay banding for school support staff, and completion of the outstanding work of the joint term-time only review group 
• A joint review of the provisions in the Green Book for maternity/paternity/shared parental/adoption leave 

Maintained sector

Most LA schools use the local government pay rates to pay their support staff in conjunction with National Joint Council (NJC) terms and conditions.

However, this can vary between local authorities, which means it is not possible to be prescriptive about the rate of pay support staff will receive. An employee's contract should state their rate of pay, the point on the local government pay scale that refers to, and how the rate will increase on an incremental basis to a certain point.

Academies and Free Schools

Whilst academies have the freedom to establish their own policies for pay and conditions, nearly all stand-alone academies and all Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) have maintained the link to the Local Government pay arrangements, which means that they adhere to the pay agreements reached periodically, and also use the Local Government pay spine and the National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service – otherwise known as the Green Book.

Free schools have the ability to set their own pay, terms and conditions, without reference to the maintained sector.

Independent schools

Support staff in most independent schools are employed on a range of terms and conditions that are determined by their individual contracts Details of support staff pay should be included in a written school pay policy, and school policies on employment-related matters should be published in a staff handbook or on the school’s intranet.

In more than 100 independent schools, the NEU is recognised by the employer for collective bargaining purposes, and in most instances, the Recognition Agreement covers teachers and support staff. This means that NEU members at the school negotiate with management on their pay, hours, holidays and other matters.

Local government pay scale for support staff

Special educational needs

Sixth Form Colleges NJC support staff salary spine

NJC Support Staff London and Fringe Area Allowances at 1st September 2019

At 1st January 2021