Dear Members,
Yesterday, HM Government published its response to the NCA Remuneration Review Body (NCARRB) recommendations for the 2026/27 NCA pay award.
By disregarding the NCARRB’s recommended 4.7% cost-of-living award, this Labour Government has failed to honour the commitments it made both in opposition and in government, when Ministers stated that they would remain committed to the independent Pay Review Body process as the established mechanism for determining pay uplifts for public sector workers. Ministers also described the PRB process as a long-standing, independent and neutral mechanism in which all parties play a role, while acknowledging that trade unions campaigned to establish PRBs in the first place.
The NCARRB should play a pivotal role in ensuring fairness for NCA officers with powers who are subject to restricted industrial rights and who rely on an independent annual pay process.
The NCA will now impose a 3.8% cost-of-living pay award, alongside similar uplifts to the London and South East geographical allowances and the International Liaison Officer Allowance. Many NCOA members will find this year’s outcome especially disappointing, particularly given that the recommended 4.7% award was affordable.
In addition, the NCA has confirmed that HM Treasury is supporting its Pay and Contract Reform (PaCR) case. While little is currently known about the pay improvements this may deliver, we do know that any implementation can only proceed through a collective agreement with the NCA trade unions.
Having identified the additional funding required to deliver a 4.7% pay award, we will expect any assimilation offer made as part of the PaCR proposals to include a further uplift. Failure to do so is likely to have significant consequences for industrial relations with the NCA, and I cannot rule out balloting members for industrial action rather than supporting the introduction of pay and contract reform.
We will provide a further update once more information is available, including how the NCOA will engage with members on the next steps.
Regards,
Steve Bond
General Secretary, NCOA.