I'm not sure if anybody has any knowledge on this, but for example, if you work for a company and are currently on say a grade 5 which has 6 incremental pay rises, starting at say £17,000 and going up by £500 each year. If you are on the top increment, but take a forced pay cut due to cuts in the budget and drop down to a grade 4 with a bottom grade of say £15,000 going up over 6 years to £18,000, do you have to start back on the bottom increment or do you stay on the increment that you are currently at?

Ask your union. And if you're not in one, join one.

Quite seriously.

Yeah I am in one, just never hear a peep from them. Emailed them about a week ago to try and find out who my rep is but yet to hear back from them.

Stop paying your fees you will soon here from them

Aye, that'll do the job

This from a non-unionised individual who repeatedly slags off unions, but also cries like a baby because nasty management won't give him an ickle pay wise when he asks nicely ('because they don't care').

Karma.

I would ask your company rather than the Union. It's up to the company what pay grade they put you on, not the Union. If you were then not happy with the answer, that is the time to call in the Union.

Alternatively, you might find that it's up to an agreement that was negotiated and signed by both the company and the workforce.