THE Home Office is potentially setting aside \u00a370m to pay for a rise in police officers\u2019 salaries \u2013 an \u2018insulting\u2019 amount according to South Yorkshire Police Federation.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat would be a complete insult to police officers who are feeling the pinch,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA 1.3% rise is barely meeting the cost of living, especially with the uncertainty around Brexit. We\u2019ll 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%]<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just not acceptable. Police officers are really feeling the pinch. They\u2019re worn out with the actual workload and they\u2019re having to force themselves to do overtime, which is even then compounding that effect.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve says Federation members have been let down so many times by successive Governments over pay that they are almost used to feeling undervalued.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have been left disappointed that many times, they\u2019ve come to expect it.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though it will insult officers and will, yet again, make them feel undervalued, they\u2019re used to this now. They\u2019re used to getting the pittance that the Government\u2019s giving us so it\u2019s not going to come as any shock to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Government needs to put its money where its mouth is and actually show us how valued we are, and appreciate how tight they\u2019ve been with finances, and make a direction change in actually giving us a pay rise which will reflect the cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
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