The NJC pay award for 2026/27 concerns the national pay negotiations for council employees and school support staff working under Green Book terms in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Local government employers have made a full and final offer of a 3.3% consolidated increase on NJC spinal column points 3 to 43, relevant allowances and eligible locally determined pay points.
The proposed increase would take effect from 1 April 2026 if it is eventually implemented.
However, the 3.3% proposal has been rejected by UNISON, GMB and Unite. This means it should currently be described as an employer offer, not a confirmed NJC pay award. No national agreement has been reached.
UNISON began targeted industrial-action ballots on 9 July 2026 involving approximately 200,000 council and school employees at more than 500 employers in England and Wales.
The ballots close on 6 August 2026. A separate UNISON ballot in Northern Ireland is scheduled to run from 8 September to 13 October 2026.
The outcome matters to more than one million employees working in local government and schools, including teaching assistants, social workers, refuse and recycling workers, administrators, housing officers, librarians, cleaners, care staff and maintenance teams.
Because the NJC pay spine is used across a wide range of public services, the final outcome could affect basic salaries, hourly rates, overtime calculations, allowances and pensionable earnings.
Last Updated: 23.07.2026
NJC Pay Offer 2026/27 at a Glance
| Issue | Union claim | Employer position | Current status |
| Headline pay increase | At least £3,000 or 10%, whichever is higher | 3.3% on applicable NJC pay points | Rejected by all three unions |
| Minimum hourly rate | £15 an hour | Not accepted | Unresolved |
| Allowances | Increase in line with the pay award | 3.3% increase | Included in the offer |
| Annual leave | One additional day | Not accepted | No proposed change |
| Working week | Two-hour reduction without loss of pay | Not accepted | No proposed change |
| School support staff | One paid day of leave during term time | Not accepted | No proposed change |
| Teaching assistants | Remove Level 1 and move affected staff to Level 2 | Not accepted | No proposed change |
| Effective date | 1 April 2026 | 1 April 2026 | Dependent on final outcome |
The joint union claim was submitted in late November 2025 and formally lodged with employers on 1 December 2025.
It asked for either £3,000 or 10%, whichever produced the larger increase for each worker, alongside improvements to minimum pay and employment conditions.
Why Have the Unions Rejected the 3.3% NJC Pay Offer?
UNISON, GMB and Unite argue that the employer offer does not sufficiently address the long-term reduction in the real value of local government pay.
Although a 3.3% rise would increase nominal salaries, unions say employees have experienced years in which pay growth failed to keep pace with living costs.
They also argue that low and uncompetitive salaries contribute to vacancies, employee turnover and heavier workloads across local services.
The unions’ £3,000-or-10% claim was designed to produce a larger cash increase for lower-paid workers while providing a percentage-based increase for employees further up the NJC pay spine.
They also requested a £15 minimum hourly rate. This demand can be considered alongside the confirmed 2026 National Living Wage of £12.71, which applies to workers aged 21 and over from April 2026.
The NJC claim would therefore establish a pay floor materially above the legal minimum.
GMB members formally rejected the offer in May 2026. GMB subsequently asked the national employers to reopen negotiations, but the union reported in June that employers had declined to do so.
UNISON has moved beyond consultation to targeted industrial-action ballots. Unite has also rejected the offer, meaning all three recognised NJC unions currently oppose the employer proposal.
What Have NJC Employers Said About the Offer?
Local government employers maintain that the 3.3% proposal is a fair and financially responsible offer when council funding pressures are taken into account.
The employer side has said the increase would be consolidated and permanent, rather than a one-off payment.
It would apply to NJC points 3 to 43, relevant allowances and eligible locally determined salaries above the national spine but below deputy chief officer level.
Employers must balance staff pay against expenditure on social care, housing, waste collection, children’s services, special educational needs provision and other statutory responsibilities.
However, the unions argue that continued low pay also creates costs through vacancies, agency staffing, employee turnover and difficulty retaining experienced workers.
What Is Included in the 3.3% NJC Pay Offer?
The employer proposal would apply a 3.3% consolidated increase from 1 April 2026 to:
- NJC spinal column points 3 to 43.
- Relevant nationally agreed allowances.
- Eligible locally determined pay points above the national spine but below deputy chief officer level.
The proposal does not include the unions’ demands for a £15 minimum hourly rate, an additional day of annual leave, a two-hour reduction in the working week or a paid term-time leave day for school support employees.
Estimated NJC Salaries Under the 3.3% Offer
The following calculations use the official NJC salary rates that applied from 1 April 2025. They show what selected full-time equivalent salaries would approximately become after a 3.3% increase.
| NJC spinal point | Salary from April 2025 | Estimated salary after 3.3% | Estimated annual increase | Approximate gross monthly increase |
| SCP 5 | £25,583 | £26,427 | £844 | £70.35 |
| SCP 12 | £28,598 | £29,542 | £944 | £78.64 |
| SCP 20 | £32,597 | £33,673 | £1,076 | £89.64 |
| SCP 28 | £39,152 | £40,444 | £1,292 | £107.67 |
| SCP 35 | £46,142 | £47,665 | £1,523 | £126.89 |
The April 2025 salaries in this table come from the nationally agreed 2025/26 NJC pay spine. The 2026/27 figures have been calculated by applying 3.3% and rounding to the nearest pound.
These are illustrative gross figures rather than confirmed 2026/27 salaries. Actual earnings may differ because of contractual hours, local grades, term-time arrangements, pension contributions, tax, National Insurance and payroll rounding.
Part-time and term-time-only employees would not normally receive the full annual cash figures shown in the table. Their increase would be based on their contracted salary, hours and local payroll calculation.
Who Would Be Covered by the NJC Pay Offer?
The NJC agreement covers a broad range of employees working for councils, maintained schools and other employers that follow Green Book terms.
Potentially affected roles include:
- Social workers and care employees.
- Housing and benefits officers.
- Administrative and customer-service staff.
- Cleaners, caretakers and maintenance employees.
- Library and leisure staff.
- Refuse, recycling and street-cleaning workers.
- Teaching assistants and other school support employees.
Waste collection is one example of an essential council service where local grades and employment arrangements can affect earnings.
Actual bin worker wages vary according to spinal point, region, responsibilities, shift patterns and whether the employee works directly for a council or a private contractor.
The proposal also affects many employees covered by local-authority school support staff pay arrangements, including administrators, cleaners, caretakers, midday supervisors and learning-support employees.
Academy staff are not automatically covered in every case. Some academy trusts continue to follow NJC and Green Book arrangements, while others operate their own contractual pay structures.
Employees should check their contract, pay policy or employer communication before assuming that a national NJC settlement will apply.
Teachers are generally covered by separate teacher-pay arrangements and should not be confused with school support employees covered by NJC negotiations.
The negotiations discussed in this article relate to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scottish local-government pay is negotiated separately.
What Does the Union Claim Mean for Teaching Assistants?
The joint claim included a demand to abolish the Level 1 teaching-assistant role and move affected employees to Level 2.
Unions argue that many Level 1 employees now perform duties involving pupil support, safeguarding, special educational needs and classroom responsibility that exceed the expectations traditionally associated with the grade.
The employer offer does not include the proposed regrading.
Consequently, changes to individual teaching assistant pay would continue to depend on the final NJC settlement, the employee’s existing spinal point, contractual hours and the grading arrangements used by the school or academy.
How Would the Offer Affect Allowances and Pensionable Pay?
The 3.3% offer includes an equivalent increase to nationally agreed allowances covered by the NJC settlement.
Depending on an employee’s contract, this could affect payments connected with:
- Standby or call-out duties.
- Overtime.
- Irregular working hours.
- Sleeping-in duties.
- Other nationally agreed contractual allowances.
Because the proposed increase would be consolidated into basic pay, it may also increase pensionable earnings for employees participating in the Local Government Pension Scheme.
The exact effect would depend on the employee’s pay, pension section and personal circumstances.
How Are UNISON, GMB and Unite Responding?
All three recognised NJC unions have rejected the employer offer.
UNISON
UNISON is holding targeted industrial-action ballots involving approximately 200,000 employees at more than 500 employers in England and Wales. Voting began on 9 July and closes on 6 August 2026.
A separate ballot for selected members in Northern Ireland is scheduled for 8 September to 13 October 2026.
GMB
GMB members rejected the offer in a consultation that concluded in May. The union asked employers to reopen negotiations and later reported that the request had been refused.
GMB has since been consulting branches and members about possible targeted industrial action.
Unite
Unite has also rejected the 3.3% proposal. Its rejection means that none of the three recognised unions supports the employer offer in its current form.
Could Council and School Employees Strike in 2026?
Industrial action is now a more immediate possibility because UNISON’s targeted ballots are underway.
The vote does not mean that every council or school employee will automatically strike. The ballot covers selected employers, and any lawful action would depend on the result and the statutory turnout requirements being met.
If members vote in favour, action could affect services such as:
- Waste and recycling collection.
- School support operations.
- Housing and benefits administration.
- Social care.
- Libraries and leisure services.
- Environmental health and trading standards.
- Council maintenance and customer services.
UNISON has indicated that walkouts could begin in the autumn if members support action and the dispute remains unresolved.
The scale of any disruption would depend on which employers achieve valid mandates, which groups of employees are called to take action and whether negotiations restart before strike dates are announced.
What Happens to Pay While the Offer Remains Unresolved?
Employees should continue to use their existing contractual salary when planning their finances because the 3.3% increase has not been nationally agreed.
The employer offer proposes an effective date of 1 April 2026.
If a final settlement is eventually implemented from that date, affected employees could receive salary arrears covering the period between 1 April and the date their employer updates payroll.
However, neither the amount nor the payment date should be treated as confirmed while the dispute remains unresolved.
The timing of any arrears would depend on the final settlement and the payroll arrangements of the individual council, school or academy.
Employees can prepare by checking:
- Their current NJC spinal column point.
- Their contracted weekly hours.
- Whether they are paid for the full year or on a term-time-only basis.
- Whether their academy or employer follows Green Book terms.
- Their pension and other payroll deductions.
- Official communications from their employer or union.
How Does the 2026/27 Offer Compare With Previous NJC Settlements?
| Pay year | Headline national settlement or offer | Effective date | Outcome |
| 2024/25 | £1,290 increase on NJC points 2–43 | 1 April 2024 | Agreed |
| 2025/26 | 3.2% increase on applicable pay points and allowances | 1 April 2025 | Agreed |
| 2026/27 | 3.3% employer offer | Proposed from 1 April 2026 | Rejected and unresolved |
The 2025/26 agreement increased NJC salaries and relevant allowances by 3.2%. It also provided for SCP 2 to be permanently removed from the national pay spine from 1 April 2026.
The current local-government dispute differs from the NHS pay rise for 2026/27, where a 3.3% award for eligible Agenda for Change staff in England has already been confirmed and paid.
The NJC proposal has the same headline percentage but remains disputed and has not become a final national agreement.
This distinction is important because similar headline percentages can have different legal, contractual and payroll statuses across public-sector workforces.
Why Is the NJC Green Book Important?
The Green Book contains the national agreement governing pay and core employment conditions for a large proportion of local-government employees.
It covers matters including:
- The national pay spine.
- Working hours.
- Annual leave.
- Overtime.
- Allowances.
- Sick pay.
- Notice periods.
- Other employment conditions.
Councils use national spinal column points to build local salary grades. Two employees performing different jobs may therefore be placed within different local grades even though both salaries are constructed from the same national pay spine.
Annual NJC increases are normally applied to the spinal points, while individual councils continue to determine which points correspond to particular local jobs and grades.
What Could Happen Next in the NJC Pay Dispute?
Several outcomes remain possible.
Employers Could Improve the Offer
The national employers could reopen negotiations and present a revised pay or conditions proposal. At present, however, the 3.3% offer continues to be described as full and final.
Strike Ballots Could Produce Mandates
If sufficient numbers of UNISON members vote and the legal turnout requirements are met, the union could announce industrial action at selected employers.
Other unions could also proceed with targeted ballots or action depending on their internal consultations and decisions.
A Settlement Could Be Reached Without Strikes
The parties could return to negotiations before industrial action begins. A revised settlement might concentrate on the headline percentage, a cash increase for lower-paid staff or non-pay conditions.
The Existing Offer Could Remain Unchanged
Employers may continue to argue that council finances do not allow a larger national settlement. If that happens, the dispute could extend further into the 2026/27 financial year.
The next major date is 6 August 2026, when UNISON’s current England and Wales ballot closes. The Northern Ireland ballot is scheduled to follow between 8 September and 13 October 2026.
Conclusion
The NJC pay award for 2026/27 has not yet been agreed.
Local government employers have offered a consolidated 3.3% increase from 1 April 2026, but UNISON, GMB and Unite have rejected the proposal.
The unions argue that it does not adequately address the decline in the real value of local-government pay, staffing pressures or the growing responsibilities carried by council and school employees.
UNISON’s targeted strike ballots are now underway in England and Wales, while further union action remains possible if employers do not reopen negotiations.
Employees should therefore treat published 2026/27 salary figures as estimates rather than confirmed pay rates.
The most reliable information will come from the final NJC agreement, official union announcements and direct payroll communication from each employer.
This article will be updated when the ballot result, a revised offer or a final national settlement is announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the NJC pay award for 2026/27 been agreed?
No. Employers have offered a 3.3% increase, but UNISON, GMB and Unite have rejected it. As of 23 July 2026, there is no final national agreement.
What is the current NJC pay offer?
The current proposal is a 3.3% consolidated increase on NJC spinal column points 3 to 43, relevant allowances and eligible locally determined pay points.
When would the NJC increase take effect?
The employer offer proposes an effective date of 1 April 2026. This does not mean the increase is currently being paid by every employer.
Will employees receive backpay?
If a final settlement is implemented retrospectively from 1 April 2026, affected employees could receive arrears. The amount and payment date cannot be confirmed until the dispute is resolved and individual employers process the change.
Have all three unions rejected the offer?
Yes. UNISON, GMB and Unite have rejected the 3.3% proposal.
When does the UNISON strike ballot close?
The targeted ballot in England and Wales closes on 6 August 2026. The selected Northern Ireland ballot is scheduled to run from 8 September to 13 October 2026.
Does the offer apply to school support employees?
It applies to support employees whose contracts follow NJC Green Book pay arrangements. This commonly includes staff in maintained schools and some academies, but individual academy arrangements can differ.
Does the NJC offer apply to teachers?
Teachers are generally covered by separate national or devolved teacher-pay arrangements. The NJC offer mainly concerns council employees and school support staff.
Editorial note: This article was reviewed and updated on 23 July 2026 using official local government employer and trade union sources.
The proposed 3.3% increase remains an employer offer rather than an agreed NJC pay award.
Salary figures are estimates based on the 2025/26 NJC pay spine and may vary according to grade, contractual hours, term-time arrangements and local payroll calculations.
Source Links
Local Government Association – 2026 NJC 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 Pay Offer
https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/workforce-and-hr-support/local-government-services/employer-circular-re-2026-njc-pay
Local Government Association – Council Employees’ Pay Offer Announcement
https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/council-employees-pay-offer-announced-7
Joint Trade Union NJC Pay Claim 2026/27
https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/workforce%20-%20main%20NJC%20pay%20claim%202026-27.pdf
UNISON – Council and School Pay Campaign
https://unison.org.uk/campaigns/council-and-school-pay
