The Government is being warned that police officers must see a significant pay rise this year to meet the soaring cost of living.
Liz Groom, chair of Cambridgeshire Police Federation, said her colleagues are being clobbered by inflation – currently at 5.4 per cent – including rising household bills and petrol, and the suggestion from Government of a two per cent pay increase, “Will not cut it.”
She said: “My colleagues have not forgotten how their heroic efforts during the pandemic were met with a pay freeze by this Government. Now the suggestion is that a paltry increase might be on the cards for this year.
“This comes after more than a decade of pay freezes and below inflation pay rises, so in reality police officers have suffered a 20 per cent real terms pay cut since 2010 – anything less than a significant rise in pay would be insulting frankly.”
The national Federation’s recent pay and morale survey revealed more than one in ten officers regularly struggle to cover the cost of essential items.
Disenchantment with current pay was also clear, with a 92 per cent of officers saying they do not feel fairly paid for the stresses and strain of their job, while 66 per cent said they were unfairly paid compared to other key workers.
Concerns have been sparked by the Home Office’s submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB), which was that the recent funding settlement provides for a pay uplift of “at least two per cent” in the 2022/23 financial year.
National Federation vice-chair Ché Donald, said: “All police officers want is fair and equitable treatment in relation to pay, this recommendation of two per cent comes at a time when inflation is running at five per cent, with National Insurance increases and spikes in energy prices.
“We will continue to advance our plans to challenge this pay mechanism, which quite frankly, is nothing short of subjugation and servitude.”