Police Pay: A 5% pay rise is nothing less than officers deserve

11 March 2020

Essex Police Federation hopes the Government will ‘listen to the evidence’ when it comes to this year’s police pay review submission.

The PFEW, in conjunction with the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA), has published its submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB).

PFEW leaders want to see a pay uplift of 5% across all ranks. Last year officers were awarded 2.5%.

It’s nothing less than officers deserve, said Essex Police Federation Chairman Steve Taylor.

“We continue to put forward an evidence-based proposal, and we hope we get listened to for the first time, although we had a decent relationship with [former Home Secretary] Sajid Javid,” he said.

“What can we do? We can continue to advance the evidence case and hope that we are listened to. Of course, we hold the position that our officers and the work they do for our communities should elicit more reward than it currently does.

“It would be daft if the staff association wasn’t saying that. But equally, it’s evidence-based. It’s not unreasonable.”

The 5% uplift is one of 20 recommendations submitted, which include:

• The removal of the lowest two pay points for Constables, to facilitate recruitment.
• The shortening of the Constables’ and Sergeants’ pay scales.
• The introduction of new top pay scale points for all ranks, to incentivise retention.
• An increase in location and dog-handlers’ allowance.
• And, the introduction of a minimum starting salary £24,177.

The PFEW is also calling for a 150% uplift in the South East Allowance, payable to officers in the Home Counties.

It aims to give officers extra insurance against the high cost of living in that part of the country – but given forces pay their officers different allowance amounts it can be a source of tension, Steve said.

“The South East allowance is becoming quite a divisive issue,” he said.

“Yes, we get the South East allowance in Essex, but we don’t get as much as our colleagues in Kent.

“We’ve got colleagues in shared departments in Essex and Kent, who are doing the same role, but one officer gets paid more than the other simply because of their parent force.

“I know that’s the same in other forces; Surrey, Sussex, TVP, Hampshire, but we’re starting to see it for the first time in Essex, and it’s not nice.

“It’s £2,000 in Essex, but it can be up to £3,000, but the chief has said they can’t afford that,” Steve added.

“Kent this year have just agreed to raise theirs to £2,500.

“There’s a subjectivity attached to the South East allowance that’s unfair, and it shouldn’t be that way.”