Branch chair Liz Groom says the Government must restore fairness to police pay after a proposal was submitted to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB).
The Police Federation of England and Wales has submitted its latest report to the PRRB, which includes a recommendation for a minimum 7 per cent annual officer pay award for the next three years.
The recommendation aims to balance the gradual erosion of officer pay over the last 15 years, which has resulted in a real-terms cut of more than 20 per cent.
Within the report, the PFEW warned the ‘direct consequences’ of these cuts would continue to be seen across policing without proper pay restoration, including lasting damage to morale, retention, operational capability and public safety.
The PFEW’s submission to the PRRB comes after:
- The Government’s remit letter to the PRRB made clear that recommendations must reflect affordability within existing funding settlements; and
- The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) indicated it would support a 3.5 per cent award only if fully funded, falling to 2.5 per cent if it is not.
Giving her backing to the proposal, Liz said: “I think the pay award recommended by the PFEW would go some way to correcting the degradation we have seen over the last decade and a half, but now it’s about the Government showing it is truly on the side of police officers by working with it.
“As a Federation, we know what our members deserve, and that is for fairness, respect and value to return to their profession through what they are paid. For far too long, they have been expected to go above and beyond to keep the public safe and well, only to go without financial security themselves.
“Recently, Policing Minister Sarah Jones MP said officers should be in no doubt about how much the Government will support them moving forward – now is the time to prove that, by accepting this proposal and implementing it.
“Words and statements of intent are good, but actions are what truly matter, and that’s what policing now needs to see.”
Liz also highlighted the heightened need for fair pay restoration in Cambridgeshire, as county officers do not receive the South East Allowance, unlike counterparts in neighbouring forces.
“It is unacceptable for any officer to be left struggling with poor pay, but things are made even more difficult for our members when they are excluded from affordances like the South East Allowance,” continued Liz, adding: “While workers in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and other forces near London are helped by the region’s huge cost-of-living pressures, Cambridgeshire is not.
“Our members are still dealing with this uneven playing field, which still needs to be addressed, and the least that should happen is an improvement to overall pay conditions across policing.
“The financial support they receive is simply inadequate, so anything moving in the right direction, whether on a local or national scale, would be massively welcomed.”
After the submission of the report was confirmed, PFEW national secretary John Partington said: “If affordability within existing budgets becomes the ceiling for police pay, we are guaranteeing a broken service.
“It is neither fair to officers nor affordable to the public who pay the cost of crime and reduced safety.
“A properly independent review body must determine what resources proper policing really needs, not simply how much more blood can be squeezed from the stone.”
He added that it was disappointing that the NPCC had shown it was ready to accept such a low settlement.
“Officers will be putting their health and their lives on the line this weekend, knowing their chiefs are recommending what is in effect a real-terms pay cut.
“Chief constables should be honest with the people they are supposed to lead: they are endorsing another reduction in officers’ living standards, one which has obvious and severe consequences.
“You cannot demand more courage, more resilience and more personal risk while steadily reducing the value of the job.
“Brave and dedicated men and women are leaving policing in record numbers because it no longer pays enough to justify the cost to them and their families.”
In addition to its pay recommendation, the PFEW is asking for structural reform of police remuneration, including the introduction of a military-style ‘P Factor’ recognising the unique risks, restrictions and psychological trauma inherent in policing.
Evidence submitted to the PRRB shows:
- Almost half of all constables have five years’ service or less
- Mental health-related sickness absence is at record levels
- Assaults on officers remain persistently high