We are aware that some members have already received letters informing them whether or not their current role is eligible to move to Spot Rate pay. Later this week the NCA is likely to publish its pay award for 2020/21, a pay calculator and issue formal offer letters for those who able to now move to SR.
What is clear from member feedback to date, is that many of you have resigned yourselves to not receiving the 2.5% pay uplift which was widely reported in the recent HM Treasury press release. This appeared shortly before the NCARRB and other pay review bodies published their recommendations and in the case of the NCA, these were endorsed by the Home Office.
The manner in which the NCA continues to allocate differential pay awards, means that a significant number of you will fail to receive a pay award of 2.5% or more this year. Those who are more fortunate, include those at the very bottom of the standard pay ranges or are those currently in, or now electing to move to SR pay. For the first time this year, this group will include G1 and G2 officers who elect to move to SR. As a result, some of the highest pay awards in terms of % and almost exclusively highest in terms of financial amount, will be targeted to a small minority of Senior Leaders in the NCA.
The NCA in its allocation of new SR roles have failed to treat G3’s in the same way as their G1 and G2 colleagues, with the proposed G3 SR1 set at the same level at G3 standard pay range minimum and SR2 no more than a pro rata uplift for increasing from a 37 to a 40hr week.
You will recall that the agency was unambiguous in its proposals that G3 SR pay needed to be targeted at Operational Managers and SIO’s who could be easily compared to policing counterparts. Yet in stark contrast to its own pay case it now appears that barely any officers at this important grade are to be offered spot rates. Many G3 NCOA members can feel justifiably let down by the agency.
As part of this year’s NCA Pay Award, should G3 members choose to accept SR Offers please understand that you will be joining an extremely small group of managers who will have volunteered, to give up the ability to claim overtime with no financial compensation and therefore will move to significantly less favourable terms and conditions. As your responsible Trade Union, we are therefore advising our G3 Member who have been offered SR to Reject it. The NCOA are set to inform the agency that this is our position.
Moving forward, the NCOA will continue to fight for a much wider spread of SR roles across all grades but only if the allotted pay for all Spot Rates is fair and progressive. We do not support the removal of overtime at any Grade which currently permitted to earn it.
During our recent negotiations with agency, we have singularly and steadfastly refused to deviate from our position of opposition to contractual enhanced flexibility clauses and moves to modernised terms and conditions, being associated with a move to SR pay. The agency is currently considering the opposition we have put forward which includes the Director General accepting its removal from 2018 pay conditions when Spot Rates were focussed at G4 & G5.
After 2 years of pushing by the NCOA and with the support of the NCARRB; the agency has now agreed to a time bound review of geographical allowances, which includes a review of the London Weighting Allowance. We have made it clear during the initial discussions that the NCOA will not support the loss of LWA for any of our members. Rather we would seek to review both the geographical areas and level of future allowances which should be paid. The NCOA have advised the agency that is exactly what other Law Enforcement agencies both in London and surrounding London have done with a positive impact on both recruitment and retention of officers.
As a reminder, a full copy of the NCARRB recommendations can be found at National Crime Agency Remuneration Review Body report: 2020
Steve BOND - National Officer NCOA.