Prospect ‘minded to accept’ final Soulbury pay offer

Prospect’s Education and Children’s Services Group Executive Council has indicated that it is minded to accept a ‘final pay offer’ for its members employed by local authorities and whose roles are covered by the Soulbury agreement.

Prospect had submitted a ‘significant’ pay claim in July and, following further negotiations, the Employers’ Side has offered a final offer of:

• 1.75% increase on all pay points on each of the Officer pay scales on 1 September 2021
• 1.75% increase on the London Area and Fringe Payments on 1 September 2021

The Soulbury trade unions had previously rejected an earlier offer of 1.5%.

As part of the offer, the Employers’ Side has also committed to further discussions to consider the current Soulbury pay scales and how the work of Soulbury Officers has changed during the pandemic.

The new Group Executive Council of Prospect’s Education and Children’s Services Group met at the sector’s Biennial General Meeting on the first weekend of November to consider the offer.

Following extensive discussions, the GEC has agreed that although the offer is disappointing, particularly given the incredible efforts our members have given during the last 12 months, and levels of inflation, that Prospect is minded to accept because:

• it reflects an improvement, and we are clear that it is the best that can be achieved through negotiation
• it provides a consolidated increase to salaries, backdated to 1 September 2021 in the context of a wider public sector pay freeze, including for the majority of teachers and failure to agree an increase elsewhere in local government
• it provides an agreement to engage the Employers’ Side in joint discussion on Soulbury pay structure and the changing nature of our members’ work
• it delivers an increase to salaries ahead of the significant challenges created by the DfE proposal to remove direct School Improvement funding for local authorities

Prospect is inviting our ECSG members who are covered by the Soulbury agreement to contact us with your views and the GEC’s recommendation by 25 November. Please send your comments to [email protected] with ‘Soulbury Pay Offer 2021’ in the subject heading.