Council social workers in England and Wales will get a £1,925 pay rise this year, after unions agreed to employers’ offer.
The increase, which will be backdated to 1 April 2022, is worth 4.04% to 6.6% for social workers, and represents the largest rise in pay for council staff in over a decade. It applies to staff earning up to £47,665 a year and includes all employees in adults’ and children’s services in authorities covered by the National Joint Council for local government services agreement.
However, it will still represent a real-terms pay cut, with the annual rate of inflation – according to the government’s preferred measure – having been 9% or above since April.
Members of the biggest union, UNISON, which has an estimated 40,000 social worker members, backed the offer, as did those from the GMB, in consultative ballots. Unite members rejected it, but the three unions met today and decided collectively to accept the offer, which also applies to council staff in Northern Ireland.
The deal also includes an extra day’s annual leave, from 1 April, 2023, and a 4.04% rise in allowances, including the standby allowance for emergency duty team social workers, which will rise from £30.35 to £31.58 per session, backdated to April 2022.
Staff ‘must get money as soon as possible’
UNISON national secretary for local government Mike Short said: “UNISON members voted clearly to accept this pay offer, and it will come as a welcome relief to many of our members – particularly those who are lower-paid – that it has been agreed before the holiday period.
“Our immediate priority, now, is to get the money into the pay packets of workers as soon as possible, to help deal with the rapidly rising cost of living and move into the next pay round.
“We know there is much more to do, as this pay settlement is still below inflation and we will be looking to submit a pay claim for 2023 as soon as practically possible, so the employers have no excuse for delaying making an offer, next year.
“We will be expecting that offer to meet our members’ needs and address the massive pressure they are facing due to the rate of inflation.”
