The latest position in respect of pay talks in England and Wales

England

At a meeting of the English NJF last week AoC made the following offer:

Pay Proposal:
A staged pay implementation of:
· 2.0% on all salaries and allowances payable from 1 August 2005
Followed by:
· 0.8% on all salaries and allowances payable from 1 January 2006

National Minimum Wage:
· The proposed staged process will ensure that the minimum wage for support staff is 22% above the NMW. Under the staged proposal the minimum wage for support staff will be £6.12 per hour from 1 August 2005; rising to £6.17 per hour from 1 January 2006.

Management Pay
There is a great deal of variation regarding management roles and responsibilities and how managers are paid across the sector. However, the AoC agrees in principle that managers should not be paid less than the staff they manage.

All of the unions except NATFHE indicated that they would consider the offer and respond early in the next academic year. NATFHE said that they rejected the offer and would ballot for industrial action (likely to take place on 11th November). ACM Council will be asked whether the offer should be accepted at its meeting at the end of September.

Wales

The management pay working group has concluded its work and will recommend an increase of 3.25% (phased in April and September) plus introduction of a new management pay spine with a starting point of £32k - managers would be moved onto the next point on the new spine at an average cost of 5% - meaning an average increase of 8.25% for managers in Wales. This is of course subject to approval by the Wales NJF (next meeting scheduled for 2nd September), approval by fforwm employment committee and funding by the Assembly - but the indications look good at present!