Napo and UNISON pay teams have been in dialogue during April and are close to being in a position to submit a pay claim to the employer which will be effective from 1st April. Please look out for more news and the launch of joint consultative meetings for members.
Given the evolving developments around pay in the social work sector and the current rate of inflation, it is important that the union’s claim captures the relevant data so that negotiations can start on a firm footing. While we await Government announcements about the pay remit for 2023/24, members of both unions have made it clear that they are not prepared to suffer the inordinate and disgraceful delays between the commencement of pay talks with Cafcass, with an offer eventually appearing from the employer around December. Whist it is the case that both unions suspended a decision on launching industrial action ballots last year, it remains a fact that we have a live mandate to do so if insufficient progress is made by way of negotiation.
Members of both unions are also telling us that they expect to see some backbone from their employer in terms of their approach to the Treasury and that simply making a business case to secure a pay remit that is bound to be inadequate is simply unacceptable.
