At a meeting of the NJC Executive on 24th August, the employers made an improved offer backdated to 1st April 2007, which is:

• 3.4% increase on scale point 4, giving a new bottom rate of £6 an hour
• 2.475% increase on all other pay points
• The offer is not staged.

The offer commits both sides of the NJC to a review of pay and rewards "with nothing ruled in and nothing ruled out".  This review will start in October.  It recognises the key role that local government workers have played in delivering "high standards of service delivery" and efficiency savings.

The offer comes at the end of lengthy and difficult negotiations, in which the employers have been under great pressure not to exceed the Government's public sector pay target of 2%.  For the first time local government workers on the lowest pay point with receive £6 an hour (Hertfordshire County Council has no employees on this pay band).  The 2.475% delivers the same increase on most scale points as would a 2.5% increase across the board because of the way pay is calculated.  The largest annual difference in pay between the offer of 3.4% on scale point 4 plus 2.475% and a national 2.5% on all pay points is £10.

The NJC Committee will now meet on the 4th September to consider the offer and decide on the next steps.