“Sad day” for policing after redundancy decision deadlock

IT WAS described as a “sad day” for policing in England and Wales as the Police Negotiating Board registered a “failure to agree” over compulsory severance on 24 July.

The controversial issue of police officer redundancy will now go to the Police Arbitration Tribunal later this year – likely to be in the Autumn. Home Secretary Theresa May will then have the final decision.

Ian Rennie, PFEW General Secretary and Staff Side secretary at PNB, described it as a “sad day indeed for the Police Service of England and Wales”.

He said that while the Staff Side of the PNB has “grave doubts” about the proposals for compulsory severance it has attempted to engage in constructive discussions with the Official Side.

However, Mr Rennie said: “Where the Official Side did provide responses, these did not provide the reassurances Staff Side was seeking. The responses of the Official Side, both written and oral, have only further reinforced Staff Side’s view that, in addition to being wrong in principle, compulsory severance cannot be implemented in practice for police officers.”

The tribunal hearing is likely to be in the Autumn – and has been in October in previous years.

A PAT decision will then usually come before Christmas – with the issue going to the Home Secretary for the final decision.

In previous years the decision from the Home Secretary came before Christmas – as it did with Labour’s Jacqui Smith in 2007. However Theresa May made her decision on the PNB ruling of December 2012 at the beginning of 2013.

A Home Office spokesman said it would be “inappropriate to comment while negotiations are ongoing”.