Police staff demand three per cent pay rise

UNIONS representing police staff in England and Wales have put forward a claim for a three per cent pay rise for their members.

The Trade Union Side of the Police Staff Council (PSC) has asked the Employers’ Side for the increase from September 1 and are expected to enter into negotiations shortly. Most police staff have had their pay frozen since 2010.

Police officers are getting 1% on 1 September.

Public sector unions GMB, Unison and Unite, which sit on the Trade Union Side, said the claim reflects the long pay freeze and the increase in workloads for staff.

Staff have also suffered significant job losses as a result of deep cuts to force budgets.

The claim was put to the PSC’s Employers’ Side last week. A final decision is expected to be made at the next meeting of the PSC on September 12 – but Unison representatives have said they hoped there would be detailed negotiations beforehand.

In its claim, the Trade Union Side stated: “The pay freeze has resulted in a significant worsening of police staff standards of living, at a time when work demands have significantly increased as a result of savage Government cuts to police funding.

“There is an opportunity for the police employers to recognise these facts in responding to our pay claim this year.”

It also pointed to a 4.9 per cent decline in police staff numbers and a seven per cent decline in community support officer numbers between September 2011 and September 2012.

“The result of these cuts to police staff numbers is an inevitable rise in the workload of our members as forces struggle to make ends meet on limited resources,” it stated.

It also asked the Employers’ Side not to underestimate the fear that its members carry with them in relation to job security.

Last year, the Trade Union Side pushed for a £250 increase for all staff but the PSC ultimately agreed to an increase limited to those earning less than £21,000.

Police officers in England and Wales, who have also received no pay rise since September 2010, will receive a pay increase of one per cent from 1 September, in line with the Government’s pay policy for public sector workers. This was agreed by the Staff Side of the Police Negotiating Board in April.