Craftworker pay offer 2024

With effect from 1 April 2024, an increase of £1,290 on basic salary.

Jason Poulter
Trade Union Side Secretary
JNC for Craft & Associated Employees
Unite House
128 Theobald’s Road London WC1X 8TN

16 May 2024

Dear Jason,

Craftworker pay 2024

Thank you for your pay claim, which was received on 4 March. Following its receipt, the National Employers consulted councils and then met initially on 16 April to discuss the key themes to come out of those sessions. They then adjourned for private political discussions before reconvening today.

Conscious of the usual implementation date of 1 April and concerns raised by employers and employees alike when previous Agreements have been delayed, the National Employers agreed that making a full and final offer would provide certainty from the outset to yourselves, your members, the wider workforce and local employers that their offer, set out below, is the maximum they are able to make.

The National Employers wish to make the following, full and final one-year (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025) offer in respect of those employees whose pay is determined by contractual reference to the Craft JNC National Agreement (‘Red Book’), as follows:

For all Craft JNC employees (regardless of job title and designation) whose rate of pay differs from the salaries set out in the Craft JNC 2023 pay agreement circular (dated 16 November 2023), but is still contractually linked to the annual settlement reached by the Craft JNC, the Employers’ final offer is as follows:

With effect from 1 April 2024, an increase of £1,290 on basic salary
With effect from 1 April 2024, an increase of 2.50 per cent on all allowances (as listed in the 2022 JNC pay agreement circular dated 16 November 2023)

The National Employers believe that an offer constructed in this way is the best method of ensuring that those Craft employees on local pay rates which are nevertheless contractually linked to Craft JNC settlements, would receive a pay award.

For those few Craft employees who are paid the specific annual salaries as set out in the Craft JNC 2022 pay agreement, the Employers’ full and final offer is as follows:

With effect from 1 April 2024:

£1,290 on Building Labourer grade (equivalent to SCP2 on the NJC spine)
£1,290 on Heating & Ventilation Mate grade (equivalent to SCP3 on the NJC spine)
£1,290 on Building Operative grade (equivalent to SCP3 on the NJC spine)
£1,290 on Plumber grade (equivalent to SCP4 on the NJC spine) • £1,290 on Engineer & Electrician grade (equivalent to SCP5 on the NJC spine), and
2.50 per cent on all allowances

These increases would continue the principle agreed by the JNC in the 2016-18 agreement to align the five Craft Grades to current pay points 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively on the NJC ‘Green Book’ pay spine.

Other elements of your claim

Working week

The Employers reject this element of the claim in relation to a proposed 35-hour week (34 in London). 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.

Annual leave

The Employers reject this element of the claim. All Craft employees currently receive a minimum of 22 days’ leave, plus two extra statutory days, with a further four days after five years’ service (28 days). This is equitable to NJC employees’ minimum annual leave entitlement of 28 days (after five years’ service). Many councils have a more generous basic leave entitlement for both groups of employees.

Tool Allowance and Tool Insurance

The Employers’ offer is set out above; namely that tool allowance is increased by 2.50 per cent with effect from 1 April 2024. Similarly, in relation to tool insurance, the Employers’ offer is that it is increased by 2.50 per cent with effect from 1 April 2024.

Use of technology

The Employers consider the use of technology to be an increasingly common practice in the modern workplace that does not merit additional recompense nor a new national agreement. Therefore, the Employers reject this element of the claim.

The National Employers hope this final offer can promptly form the basis of an agreement between the two Sides so that Craft employees, who continue to provide such critical support to their communities, can receive this award as soon as is practicable.

Yours sincerely,

Naomi Cooke
Employers’ Secretary

cc George Georgiou, GMB
Andy Jones, Unite