Federation Chair: Give Cops fair day’s pay for fair day’s work

OFFICERS will get a ‘kick in the teeth’ if latest pay increase recommendations are not agreed says South Yorkshire Federation Chair Zuleika Payne.

She’s backing calls from the Police Federation of England and Wales and The Superintendent’s Association to reward the hard work and dedication of UK officers with a 3.4% pay rise this year.

Extra workloads, pay freezes and having to work in increasingly pressurised and stressful situations have all hit officers in recent years, meaning a pay rise is more than deserved according to Zuleika.

“In real terms we’ve actually suffered a pay drop of around 14.6% over the past 8 years, that’s the first aggravation for officers who, much of the time, do an almost impossible job,” she says.

“Officers feel they are not getting a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work and work levels have increased with fewer officers on the force to do the work.”

Zuleika believes the pay rise submission is particularly pertinent given the high level of alert the UK has been on in the last 18 months.

“When you consider what this country has experienced and what police officers have endured trying to protect the public and maintain the health and wellbeing of society, then it’s clear police officers are value for money, they strive to deliver in very challenging times.

“I fail to see that a 3.4% increase is an unreasonable request, but we have to wait and see”

Officers’ pay-packets will feel the benefit of any salary increase in September should the Home Office agree with the PFEW’s submission.