- Conference
- 2025 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 12 February 2025
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes that the NJC Green Book was agreed in 1997. As part of this, ‘Single Status’ – a single pay spine for all council staff up to spinal column point 49 at the time in England, Cymru/Wales and Northern Ireland – was agreed. The Green Book includes the NJC job evaluation scheme, an equal pay-proof scheme that was jointly developed with the trade unions.
Proper adoption and implementation of an objective job evaluation scheme is a cornerstone of implementing common terms and conditions and equality proofed grading structures. To operate effectively, the job evaluation scheme should be transparent and include trade union representatives in the process. Effective job evaluation should be delivered in partnership and implemented with employers and trade unions working together to ensure fairness and equality in pay and grading.
However, for most councils it is now 20 years or more since a comprehensive job evaluation exercise was undertaken. Conference is concerned that knowledge of how to implement job evaluation has been lost from many councils and that, increasingly job evaluation of new posts, regrading cases, or during reorganisations, is a singular exercise undertaken by employers.
As a result of both trade union and employer turnover the numbers of staff / trade union representatives trained in job evaluation has diminished.
Conference is concerned that employers may be using local variations to the agreed job evaluation scheme, or other schemes that are not equality-proofed, that may result in equal pay issues in the workforce. This has been demonstrated in two legal cases taken against Glasgow and Fife councils, where the amended schemes were disapplied as being unsuitable to be relied upon. Conference is further concerned to note that some third parties are undertaking job evaluation for councils or providing job evaluation training, and this may have less preferential outcomes for our members.
Conference further notes that where pay structures are not implemented with due regard to job evaluation, equal pay and equality impact assessments, this may result in unequal pay structures becoming embedded in local government.
In recent years, equal pay cases have come to light at a number of councils and UNISON is supporting equal pay claims for affected members. Council workers should not be facing unequal pay and properly implemented and maintained job evaluation schemes will help to achieve this.
Conference calls upon the Service Group Executive to:
1) Survey branches in order to understand the level of knowledge of job evaluation and equal pay;
2) Raise the issue of job evaluation nationally with local government employers, and to seek to agree with the employers an action plan to introduce a more standardised approach to job evaluation that includes equalities and equal pay;
3) Develop and deliver training for branch activists so that knowledge of job evaluation and equal pay is more widespread, working with national local government employer bodies where possible and appropriate;
4) Develop and circulate advice to branches on the different job evaluation schemes in local government, along with clear advice on potentially problematic schemes;
5) Provide advice on positive action measures to redress gender imbalances.
