ONS wage data ‘body blow’

18 August 2021

New figures which reveal an annual hike in UK average pay of 7.4 per cent are a body blow for members who have been offered a zero per cent increase by the Government.

That’s the view of Geoff Bardell, the chair of Hertfordshire Police Federation.

Geoff was speaking after new Office for National Statistics data showed growth in average total pay (including bonuses) was 8.8 per cent, and 7.4 per cent for regular pay (excluding bonuses) in the period between April and June. It also highlighted a record high in the number of UK job vacancies.

Geoff said the increase in general UK wages was in stark contrast to the Government’s zero per cent pay offer.

“There’s no doubt that this news will feel like a body blow to our members,” he said, “They’ve been through so much and made so many sacrifices during the pandemic only to receive a zero per cent pay offer while other areas receive huge increases. They have every right to feel aggrieved.

“It also threatens to make policing an unappealing and unattractive career choice at a time when we’re looking to recruit new officers and retain existing ones.

“If we want to attract the best recruits and retain our best and experienced colleagues then we have to pay them a fair and decent wage.

“The Government needs to urgently look at this again,” he added.

Geoff’s comments are in line with the views of Ché Donald, national vice-chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales.

He said: “My colleagues will be dismayed by the news that some sectors are clearly receiving sky high wage rises while police officers receive nothing. They will be fully justified in feeling further betrayed by the unfairness of this news.

“Police officers who were on the frontline of the pandemic have already seen firefighters and local government workers in England given a 1.5 per cent increase.

“The ONS has now said the UK employment situation has been rebounding ‘robustly,’ and this new data will be viewed as further evidence all sectors were not treated equally by this government.

“It is yet another example of why we have lost confidence in a government which deliberately took full advantage of our unique status as public servants without the same employment rights as other members of society.”