The 4.2% pay increase for police officers is a step in the right direction, but does not redress the long-term damage that has been done to police pay, the Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
The Government announced the pay award on 1 August, but the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) said it would \u201cbarely tread water\u201d, as it is only just above inflation.<\/p>\n
Steve Kent, Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation, agreed with the national Federation, saying: \u201cI accept that some officers are content with this pay deal, and it is a positive start to redressing the balance, but it still doesn\u2019t address the long-term damage to police pay.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to have a conversation with the Government about how we’re going to get pay up, as it has fallen by nearly 20% in real terms over the past 15 years. That needs a structured, three-to-five year pay deal, above inflation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve said he didn\u2019t think the new pay deal would help with morale or retention challenges in forces. He said: \u201cIt hasn\u2019t had a negative impact, but it won\u2019t rebuild Rome in a day, because morale is still low.<\/p>\n
\u201cStress levels are still high, retention challenges are still there, and it’s going to need fundamental change in policing to address that. Even if we got a hypothetical 25% pay rise, which we know is a tall order, it wouldn\u2019t address all these issues overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the Government announcement was made, PFEW Deputy Chair Brian Booth said: \u201cWe note that Chief Constables argued for a pay rise of just 3.8%. We welcome the Government\u2019s decision to reject that position and instead listen to the strong case we have been making on behalf of police officers across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, after more than a decade of real-terms pay cuts, this award does little to reverse the long-term decline in officers\u2019 living standards or address the crisis policing faces. A pay rise worth the price of a Big Mac per shift won\u2019t stop record levels of resignations, record mental health absences, or the record number of assaults on officers.\u201d<\/p>\n