Pay and conditions: Union deal secures pay rise for youth workers

The pay increase, effective from September last year, means an immediate pay increase of 2.75 per cent, with a further 2.95 per cent rise from September this year - in line with other local government employees.

The deal also included a pledge to set up a working group this month to formulate a new Advanced Practitioner Grade to be implemented in September.

The grade aims to encourage experienced youth workers to stay in the job rather than seeking higher salaries in management posts.

The settlement has been accepted with some reservations by union representatives, who had asked employer representatives on the Joint Negotiating Committee to come up with a "significant" increase.

Linda Jack, a Unison representative on the Joint Negotiating Committee, said: "Our members have been waiting so long for this settlement and will have the money in their pockets quickly, but it doesn't address our concerns."

She added: "We're being asked to deliver to a much wider accreditation and outcomes agenda, which is not being recognised in this settlement. There has been a huge drive to ensure that the quality of youth work improves, but there's no recognition that in order to improve quality, you have to improve terms and conditions."

But the unions were pleased that employers had not sought to deduct from the pay increase the 0.4 per cent extra that was spent on assimilating staff on to the new pay and grading structure agreed in the 2003-04 settlement (YPN, 1-7 December 2004, p4).

The increase is due to appear in pay packets next month. Youth workers' posts are expected to be reclassified under a new grading structure by April and the system will be reviewed next year.