Local Government Pay Rise 2026/27: 3.3% NJC Offer Rejected as Strike Ballots Begin

The local government pay rise for 2026/27 has not yet been agreed. National employers have made a full and final offer of 3.3%, effective from 1 April 2026, but UNISON, GMB and Unite have rejected the proposal.

UNISON is now balloting selected council and school workers in England and Wales for strike action. The ballot opened on 9 July and is due to close on 6 August 2026. GMB members have also rejected the offer, while Unite’s national local-government committee rejected it outright.

The important distinction is that 3.3% is currently an employer offer, not an agreed NJC pay award. Councils should not normally implement the new national rates until the negotiating process has concluded and a formal agreement has been issued.

Last updated: 21 July 2026

Local Government Pay Rise 2026/27: Current Status

The latest position can be summarised as follows:

The offer would apply as a permanent, consolidated increase to NJC spinal column points 3 to 43. Relevant NJC allowances would also increase by 3.3%.

The negotiations cover council workers and many school employees whose pay and conditions follow the NJC Green Book. This includes administrative staff, care workers, housing officers, librarians, social workers, refuse workers and classroom support employees.

What Did the Unions Claim for 2026/27?

UNISON, GMB and Unite submitted their joint pay claim on 1 December 2025. They asked for an increase of at least £3,000 or 10%, whichever was greater, across every NJC spinal column point.

The claim also included:

• A plan to establish a minimum hourly rate of £15.
• A two-hour reduction in the standard working week without loss of pay.
• One additional day of annual leave.
• The right for school employees to take at least one day of paid leave during term time.
• The abolition of the Level 1 teaching-assistant role, with affected employees moved to Level 2.

The teaching-assistant proposal was a particularly important part of the claim because it concerned both pay and job grading. The potential effect on classroom staff is covered in the site’s analysis of the teaching assistant pay rise.

The union claim should not be confused with the employer offer. The £3,000 or 10% figure represents what the unions requested, while 3.3% is what employers have offered.

Timeline of the 2026/27 NJC Pay Negotiations

The original implementation date has already passed. The central questions are now whether employers will improve the offer, whether industrial action will be supported and when a final settlement will be reached.

What Has the Employer Offered?

The National Employers for local government services made a full and final one-year offer on 24 March 2026.

The proposal consists of:

• A 3.3% permanent increase on NJC pay points 3 to 43.
• A 3.3% increase on relevant NJC allowances.
• An effective date of 1 April 2026.
• A pay period running from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Employers rejected the other elements of the joint union claim, including the £15 minimum hourly rate, shorter working week, additional annual leave, term-time leave proposal and regrading of Level 1 teaching assistants.

The £15 proposal would have required a much larger increase at the bottom of the NJC pay spine.

Comparisons with the statutory 2026 minimum wage rates should therefore make clear that the union demand was a negotiating objective rather than a legal minimum that councils were required to introduce.

Union Claim Versus Employer Offer

The gap between the two sides is substantial. A 3.3% increase would give every covered employee the same percentage uplift, while the union’s £3,000-or-10% formula would have delivered proportionately larger increases for many lower-paid workers.

How Much Would a 3.3% Pay Rise Be Worth?

The following figures illustrate the gross effect of a 3.3% increase:

These are gross estimates before income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and other deductions. Increases for part-time and term-time-only employees would normally be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

The actual amount received would depend on the employee’s spinal column point, contracted hours and local payroll arrangements.

Different council occupations also sit at different points on local grading structures. For example, published estimates of bin worker pay should not be treated as a single national salary because councils set grades locally within the NJC framework.

Have the Unions Accepted the 3.3% Offer?

No. UNISON, GMB and Unite have all rejected the employer proposal.

UNISON

UNISON is conducting formal industrial-action ballots among approximately 200,000 workers at more than 500 selected employers in England and Wales. The ballots opened on 9 July and are due to close on 6 August 2026.

The union is recommending that members vote in favour of strike action. A separate ballot timetable applies in Northern Ireland, running from September into October.

GMB

GMB members rejected the offer in a consultative ballot. The union asked the National Employers to reopen negotiations, but employers declined to do so.

GMB said on 23 June that further consultation would take place locally to identify employers and workplaces where targeted industrial action could be considered.

Unite

Unite’s National Industrial Sector Committee rejected the offer outright. The union has argued that the proposal was presented as full and final without meaningful negotiation and does not sufficiently address the loss of real-terms pay experienced by council employees.

Who Is Covered by the NJC Pay Offer?

The NJC Green Book covers a wide range of local-government and school occupations, including:

• Teaching assistants and classroom support staff.
• Refuse and recycling workers.
• Social workers and care employees.
• Housing officers.
• Administrative and customer-service staff.
• Librarians.
• Cleaners and catering employees.
• Trading-standards staff.
• Parks, highways and environmental-services workers.

Not every council employee is necessarily covered by this particular offer. Chief officers, teachers, firefighters and employees on separate local or national bargaining arrangements may follow different pay processes.

Academy employees should check their contracts because some academy trusts follow NJC pay agreements voluntarily while others use their own pay arrangements.

Why Do Employers Say the Offer Cannot Be Higher?

The National Employers say that the 3.3% proposal is at the limit of what many councils can afford.

Unlike pay settlements accompanied by ring-fenced central-government funding, NJC increases must generally be funded from existing council and school budgets.

Local authorities are balancing employee pay against growing costs in areas such as adult social care, children’s services, homelessness support, transport, energy and infrastructure maintenance.

Because every permanent percentage increase also raises future staffing costs, councils assess more than the cost of the first pay year.

The unions argue that low pay creates its own financial and operational problems. Vacancies, employee turnover, agency staffing and difficulty recruiting experienced workers can weaken public services while placing additional pressure on the remaining workforce.

The disagreement is therefore not simply about whether council workers deserve higher pay.

It is also about whether local authorities have been given enough funding to deliver a larger settlement without reducing services or posts.

Will the Local Government Pay Rise Be Backdated?

The employer proposal is effective from 1 April 2026. If the current offer or a revised settlement is eventually agreed, eligible employees would normally receive the difference between their existing pay and the agreed rates from that date.

For example, an agreement implemented through payroll in October would normally include arrears covering the period from April to the implementation date.

The precise payment date would vary between councils, schools and academy trusts. Payroll teams may need several weeks after the national agreement is issued to update salary scales, calculate part-time entitlements and process pension and tax deductions.

Employees should therefore distinguish between:

• Effective date: The date from which the salary increase is owed.
• Agreement date: The date on which employers and unions settle the pay round.
• Payment date: The date on which an individual employer processes the increase and any arrears.

No national payment date can be confirmed while the offer remains unresolved.

Could Council and School Workers Go on Strike?

Industrial action is now a genuine possibility, but a national strike has not yet been confirmed.

UNISON members at selected employers are currently voting on whether to take strike action. A legal industrial-action ballot must meet the applicable turnout requirements before action can be called.

GMB is consulting locally about workplaces where targeted action may be possible, while Unite has rejected the offer and is pursuing its own union procedures.

Local disputes should not automatically be presented as part of the national NJC campaign. The Birmingham bin strike, for example, concerns separate local employment and grading issues even though it also involves council refuse workers.

If ballots produce mandates for action, walkouts could affect individual councils, schools or service areas rather than every NJC employer simultaneously.

The extent of disruption would depend on which unions secure mandates and where those mandates are obtained.

What Happens Next?

The immediate next milestone is the close of UNISON’s England and Wales ballots on 6 August 2026.

Several outcomes are possible:

1. Employers improve the offer.
   The unions could consult their members on a revised proposal.
2. The 3.3% offer is eventually settled.
   Employers would issue updated pay scales and process arrears from 1 April 2026.
3. Industrial action begins at selected employers.
   This could increase pressure on employers to reopen negotiations.
4. The dispute continues into the autumn.
   Staff would remain on existing salary rates until a settlement is implemented, although any eventual increase may still be backdated.

Workers should use communications from their employer, payroll department or recognised union for decisions affecting their own pay or participation in industrial action.

Conclusion: Where the 2026/27 NJC Pay Deal Stands?

The local government pay rise for 2026/27 remains unresolved.

Employers have offered a permanent 3.3% increase from 1 April 2026, but UNISON, GMB and Unite have rejected it.

UNISON is conducting strike ballots, GMB is considering potential targeted action and the employer side has so far maintained that its offer is full and final.

For council and school workers, the most important point is that the 3.3% figure is not yet an agreed pay award. The final increase, implementation date and amount of back pay will not be certain until the national process concludes.

This article will be updated when ballot results, a revised offer or a final NJC agreement is announced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has the 2026/27 local government pay rise been agreed?

No. Employers have offered 3.3%, but all three recognised NJC unions have rejected the proposal.

When would the pay rise take effect?

The employer offer is effective from 1 April 2026. If it is agreed later, eligible employees would normally receive arrears from that date.

Is the pay offer £3,000 or 10%?

No. £3,000 or 10%, whichever was greater, was the joint union claim. Employers instead offered 3.3%.

Does the offer include school support staff?

It covers school support staff whose employment follows NJC Green Book pay and conditions. Employees of academy trusts should check whether their trust follows the national NJC agreement.

Will every council worker receive 3.3%?

Not necessarily. The offer applies to employees covered by the relevant NJC Green Book arrangements. Workers covered by other negotiating bodies or locally determined arrangements may receive a different settlement.

When will the back pay be paid?

There is no confirmed national payment date. Each employer will process the increase after an agreement is reached and updated pay scales are issued.

Has strike action been confirmed?

No nationwide strike has been confirmed. UNISON is balloting selected employers, while GMB and Unite are following their own industrial-action procedures.

Editorial and fact-checking note: This article was last reviewed on 18 July 2026 against information published by the Local Government Association, UNISON, GMB and Unite.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about the national NJC pay process. Individual contracts, local pay arrangements and academy policies can differ. Employees should confirm their position with their employer, payroll department or recognised trade union.

Source links

Local Government Association — 2026 NJC Green Book Pay Offer
https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/workforce-and-hr-support/local-government-services/2026-pay-offer-njc-green-book

Local Government Association — Employer Circular on the 2026 NJC Offer
https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/workforce-and-hr-support/local-government-services/employer-circular-re-2026-njc-pay

UNISON — Council and School Pay Campaign
https://unison.org.uk/campaigns/council-and-school-pay

UNISON — Council and School Staff Pay Strike Ballot
https://unison.org.uk/news/2026/07/unisons-council-and-school-members-vote-pay-strikes

GMB — NJC Green Book Pay Noticeboard
https://www.gmb.org.uk/public-services/local-government/njc-green-book-noticeboard

Unite — Local Government Pay Campaign
https://www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/unite-in-local-government