Police pay: The Government needs to put it’s money where it’s mouth is

THE Home Office is potentially setting aside £70m to pay for a rise in police officers’ salaries – an ‘insulting’ amount according to South Yorkshire Police Federation.

If confirmed, the cash would equate to a 1.3% pay uplift for officers in the 2019/20 pay review, well short of the 5% increase put forward by the PFEW.

For South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent, the rumoured pay offer from the Home Office would barely meet the cost of living for members.

“That would be a complete insult to police officers who are feeling the pinch,” he said.

“A 1.3% rise is barely meeting the cost of living, especially with the uncertainty around Brexit. We’ll have to wait and see what comes out of it, but that would be a slap in the face for police officers, especially when MPs are receiving a pay rise [of 1.8%]

“It’s just not acceptable. Police officers are really feeling the pinch. They’re worn out with the actual workload and they’re having to force themselves to do overtime, which is even then compounding that effect.

“So, 1.3%, if it does come as their offer, it would be a complete and utter insult and would just show police officers in our force and throughout the country what little value the government actually places on us.”

Steve says Federation members have been let down so many times by successive Governments over pay that they are almost used to feeling undervalued.

“They have been left disappointed that many times, they’ve come to expect it.

“Even though it will insult officers and will, yet again, make them feel undervalued, they’re used to this now. They’re used to getting the pittance that the Government’s giving us so it’s not going to come as any shock to them.

“The Government needs to put its money where its mouth is and actually show us how valued we are, and appreciate how tight they’ve been with finances, and make a direction change in actually giving us a pay rise which will reflect the cost of living.”