A PAY rise of more than 10 per cent has been offered to council and school staff in Cumbria - but a union is demanding more concessions.

Staff have been offered a pay rise of nearly £2,000 National Joint Council.

But the Cumbria branch of the union says several key demands have not been accepted by employers.

They include a one-off Covid payment nad a reduction of the working week.

In a statement, Unison Cumbria said: "Council and schools staff in Cumbria have been offered a pay rise of £1,925 by the NJC.

"That’s the equivalent of a 10.5 per cent increase in the wages of the lowest paid workers and a 4.04 per cent rise for those at the top of the scales.

"Payments would be backdated to April 1 2022. 

"The one-year deal would also see an increase of 4.04 per cent on all allowances and an extra day of annual leave from April 2023."

The union put forward other measures it would like to see in the pay officer.

It said: "However, claims for a one-off Covid payment, the introduction of a homeworking allowance, the introduction of a school support staff retention payment scheme and a reduction of the working week to 35 hours with no loss of pay were rejected by the employers."

With one measure of inflation currently at nearly 12 per cent, the union said 'the offer is in real terms a pay cut'.

It added: "There is no mileage increase in the deal, but the LGA will write to HMRC to ask for a review of mileage rates and there is an agreement to continue term time work, discuss family leave and pay discussions, and discuss homeworking policy.

"The Unison NJC committee will meet on Friday, 29 July 2022 to discuss the deal further and we will further inform Members of any developments."