Jason Poulter
Trade Union Side Secretary
JNC for Craft & Associated Employees
Unite House
128 Theobald’s Road
London WC1X 8TN
23 February 2023
Dear Jason,
CRAFTWORKER PAY 2023
Thank you for your pay claim which was received on 21 February. The National Employers met today and agreed to respond formally to your pay claim.
The National Employers wish to make the following, full and final one-year (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024) 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 2022 pay agreement circular (dated 10 November 2022), 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 2023, an increase of £1,925 on basic salary
- With effect from 1 April 2023, an increase of 3.88 per cent on all allowances (as listed in the 2022 JNC pay agreement circular dated 10 November 2022)
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’ final offer is as follows:
With effect from 1 April 2023:
- £1,925 on Building Labourer grade (equivalent to SCP2 on the NJC spine)
- £1,925 on Heating & Ventilation Mate grade (equivalent to SCP3 on the NJC spine)
- £1,925 on Building Operative grade (equivalent to SCP3 on the NJC spine)
- £1,925 on Plumber grade (equivalent to SCP4 on the NJC spine)
- £1,925 on Engineer & Electrician grade (equivalent to SCP5 on the NJC spine), and
- 3.88 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:
Tool Allowance and Tool Insurance
The Employers’ offer is set out above; namely that tool allowance is increased by 3.88 per cent with effect from 1 April 2023. Similarly, in relation to tool insurance, the Employers’ offer is that it is increased by 3.88 per cent with effect from 1 April 2023.
Recruitment and Retention Payment
Whether to apply recruitment and retention payments is entirely a matter for local determination, rather than the JNC. Local employers will each adopt their own approach to retention payments, market supplements etc, having taken account of other issues such as equal pay and local labour market conditions. Therefore, the Employers reject this element of the 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 (with effect from 1 April 2023) of 28 days (after five years’ service). Many councils have a more generous basic leave entitlement for both groups of employees.
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 quickly 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