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Federation chair calls for PNB Agreement review
25 February 2025
The 1994 Police Negotiating Board (PNB) Agreement is ‘antiquated’ and needs to be reviewed, says Dyfed Powys Police Federation chair Delme Rees.
Delme said he was concerned that the regulations for the inspecting ranks were outdated for modern policing.
His comments come as the key findings of a Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) survey of the inspecting ranks are published.
The findings give weight to the need for a review of the agreement, said Delme, who is an inspector himself.
Delme said: “It’s 31 years since the PNB Agreement was introduced and a review is long overdue.
Dyfed Powys Police Federation chair Delme Rees.
“Policing has changed massively since 1994, and the role of the inspecting ranks and the demands and responsibilities placed on them are a far cry from what they were.
“Inspectors and chief inspectors aren’t being paid for the hours they do, and the demands on their time are such that many will never recoup the hours they are owed.
“Because of the loss of overtime, there is very little benefit for the extra responsibility of a top-rated sergeant making the progression to inspector.
1994 PNB Agreement
“The difference between the pay for a top-rated inspector and the chief inspector rank can also acts as a disincentive for the extra responsibility.”
Following the 1994 PNB Agreement, the inspecting ranks have worked under different regulations from constables and sergeants.
The inspecting ranks had their basic pay increased by around £3,000 a year but, in return, were no longer paid casual overtime.
They lost the right to compensation for cancelled rest days and for working on a bank holiday, other than the day being re-rostered.
There is also no right to a shift pattern, unlike constables and sergeants.
Out of step
Delme said: “The agreement is antiquated and out of step with the real-life demands placed on inspectors and chief inspectors.
“The findings of PFEW’s survey back that up, and it’s now time it was revisited and reviewed.”
The PFEW survey found that:
· 60 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with their basic pay, with dissatisfaction higher among Chief Inspectors (70 per cent) than Inspectors (57 per cent)
· 81 per cent expressed dissatisfaction with their allowances, with dissatisfaction highest in roles like road policing (87 per cent) and investigations (85 per cent)
· 78 per cent are dissatisfied with their overall remuneration, with dissatisfaction higher among Chief Inspectors (84 per cent) than Inspectors (77 per cent)
· 85 per cent disagreed with the lack of additional payment for working on public holidays
· 65 per cent disagreed with not receiving extra pay when required to work in another force area (i.e. mutual aid)
· 80 per cent prefer a choice between financial compensation or a rest day in lieu for having to work on a rest day
· During a four-week period, 67 per cent of respondents reported working an extra 0 - 20 hours above 40 hours per week (or above their agreed part-time hours), while 23 per cent work an extra 21 - 40 hours
· During a four-week period, 74 per cent of respondents perform 0 - 4 days of duties above their rank
· 93 per cent of respondents feel that members in inspecting ranks working full-time should be entitled to a rostered shift pattern within Police Regulations.
Review
John Partington, PFEW acting national secretary, echoed Delme’s calls for a review of the PNB Agreement.
He said: “The findings have been included in our pay positioning document that has been made available to the PRRB.
“This has led to us asking for changes to the regulations that cover the inspecting ranks.
“I have also raised the PNB 1994 agreement at the Police Advisory Board with the view that no organisation would allow a 31-year-old agreement to still be in place without a review.
“There doesn’t seem to be any other stakeholder with the view that this does not need to be reviewed.
“However, we will need to see what recommendations are made from the PRRB over the next few months.”
Area of concern
John said that a key area for him was that 30 per cent of respondents reported being paid for working over their agreed part-time hours, and only 54 per cent reported that these hours count towards their pension.
He said: “Of concern is that there seems to be a number of part-time officers in the inspecting ranks who are not claiming the additional hours that they work over their agreed hours.
“It is important that these hours are paid and that they are counted for pensions purposes.
“This is not optional, and forces should be paying the hours and counting them towards an officer’s pension automatically.”
PFEW has published a series of blogs on the 1994 PNB Agreement.
READ MORE: Police memorial a step closer with financial pledge.
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