PFEW calls for 15% pay rise over next 3 years - to rescue officers from "financial cliff edge"

12 February 2019

A 15 per cent pay increase has been requested for police officers over the next three years to help rescue them from a “financial cliff edge”.

A 5 per cent uplift in pay for police officers has been requested this year, followed by 5% in both 2020/21 and 2021/22 - by the Police Federation of England and Wales submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body.

Should a three-year settlement not be accepted, then a one-year deal of 6.2% has been requested, according to the submission made in partnership with the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales.

Stu Berry, Greater Manchester Police Federation Chairman, said: “The recommendation to the PRRB of 15% over the next three years is a fair and proportionate recommendation for our overstretched workforce.

"During the financial crash that led to this period of extreme austerity, this Government pronounced “we’re all in it together”. Contrary to that moral and ethical high ground, MP’s were awarded an 11% pay rise as Police Officer pay was brutally slashed. In October 2018, the Prime Minister Teresa May boldly announced that “Austerity is over”.  

"It is time for this Government put some money where their mouth is and reward our members a decent pay rise.”

On-call allowance would also see a boost under the proposals; officers of all ranks should receive £29.17 a day to bring the payments in line with those received by staff members. And both the London and SE Allowances should be uprated in line with inflation, the submission said.

The PFEW’s National Secretary, Alex Duncan, said: “Since austerity began, we have seen years of no pay increases or below inflation increases. The level of police pay has now eroded to a point where police officers are worse off than they should be.

“41% of our members are saying they have not got enough money to cover their essentials each month and 45% tell us that they worry about the state of their finances every day, or almost every day. These figures should be ringing massive alarm bells with ministers.”

The proposed three-year deal is just the “start on the journey” to return police officer pay to the level where it should be, the PFEW said.

Mr Duncan added: “Since 2010, there has not been a single pay award that has kept pace with inflation. Based on where we are, another real terms pay cut, or indeed a rise in the cost of living, is going to exacerbate that situation and result in more officers falling over a financial cliff-edge.”

Eight recommendations have been made to the PRRB ahead of the oral evidence sessions scheduled for 27 February – 6 March. To see the submission in full, go to: http://www.polfed.org/fedatwork/3859.aspx