Youth Workers' Pay Claim 2023.pdf

Youth services are facing serious and prolonged skills shortages due to over a decade of real terms pay cuts, austerity, and local government funding cuts. The Joint Trade Union Side is calling for a pay claim to address this issue. The claim includes:

An increase of RPI plus 2% across all grades
A recruitment and retention payment of £1,000 per year for all JNC staff until the completion of the grading matrix review
Addressing work-life balance and time off in lieu by making current guidance mandatory and ensuring compensatory leave is always accrued for extra hours worked
Designating two consecutive days per week as non-working days, with separate arrangements for TOIL for residential work
Moving to a 35-hour working week without loss of pay, with a further commitment to work towards a four-day week without loss of pay
Further work and completion of the race and gender pay gaps in youth work review
Amending the agreement to include youth work employers covered by contracts, grant aid, and other local authority funding arrangements
Joint working to promote the JNC in the voluntary sector

The Joint Trade Union Side stresses that youth services need rapid investment to rebuild the service and help recruit and retain professional youth workers. The current pay structure needs a full review, with grading matrixes fully re-assessed to incentivise more applicants to the sector. A restorative pay award is necessary to redress a lost decade of cuts, austerity, and crisis, and to recognise the value of youth and community workers and reward their continued dedication to their jobs at this challenging time.