Police Federation 'angry and bitterly disappointed' with 1% pay increase for officers

Following today’s announcement of a 1% pay increase for police officers in England and Wales, Steve White, Chairman of the PFEW, said:

“Every police officer across England and Wales will be angry and bitterly disappointed with an insulting 1% pay deal by the Government, after the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) rejected our evidence for a 2.8% increase. The PRRB clearly hasn’t listened to the reasons why we called for a 2.8% increase on pay, however they agree with us on almost every other point we put forward.

“The Home Office and Treasury acknowledge that the UK economy grew by 2.9% in 2014, yet the Government still expects hard-working police officers to further tighten their belts. This will further impact on the low morale among police officers who have told us and the PRRB that they already feel overworked, under-valued and unappreciated. Government talks of austerity measures, but this clearly applies to some more than others. The bitter irony won’t be lost on officers that all public sector pay review bodies have had their hands effectively tied to fit the Government’s fiscal agenda and rhetoric of cuts, while MPs themselves enjoyed a pay increase of 10%.

“While deeply disheartening, the headline figure of 1% shouldn’t mask the fact that the pay review body came down on the side of Police Federation on almost every other aspect of police pay on which they were asked to make a decision. The PRRB decided that, in line with our evidence, the pay increase should be consolidated, dismissing chief officers’ views that it should be non-consolidated, which would have meant the increase would not have been pensionable pay. As we demanded, the PRRB decided that public holiday pay should not be reduced and Away from Home Overnight allowance shouldn’t be scrapped. Also, as we asked, that London Weighting should go up by 1%, as should Dog Handler Allowance. They also increased the South East Allowance as we told them.

“The PRRB has also thrown out a number of proposals put forward by the Metropolitan Police Service and National Police Chiefs’ Council as being too early to bring to the pay review body. In doing so, they have firmly recognised the important role of the Police Federation and other staff associations in representing members during consultation at the Police Consultative Forum.

“However, in acknowledging these wins, Government must be left in no doubt – police officers perform a vital, extraordinary and unique function in society. We run towards danger and threats when others can walk away; we are the emergency service of last resort that people come to when they have nowhere else and no-one else to turn to. Therefore, a 1% pay increase will feel like a kick in the teeth for the 122,000 dedicated, professional and committed police officers who put the lives and welfare of those we serve ahead of their own."

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