Fed chair calls for substantial pay rise

26 February 2022

Police officers must be given a substantial pay rise this year if the service is to overcome poor morale, attract new recruits and retain the existing workforce, according to the chair of Hertfordshire Police Federation.

Geoff Bardell was speaking after it was announced the Home Office, in its submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body,  was recommending officers receive a minimum increase of two per cent this year.

“Since we were subjected to a zero per cent pay rise last year, I suppose we should be pleased that a pay rise is actually on the table,” says Geoff.

“But this recommendation is really another smack in the face for hard-working police officers who have worked tirelessly over the last two years while the nation has grappled with the challenges brought by the pandemic.

“They have been subjected to intense media scrutiny, they have been assaulted, they have been spat at and they have been shown a complete lack of respect by the Government.

“Last week, the results of the annual pay and morale survey showed the depth of the crisis in policing. In Hertfordshire, 86 per cent of respondents said they felt Force morale was low, 80 per cent said they were dissatisfied with their overall remuneration and 95 per cent revealed they did not feel they were fairly paid for the stresses and strains of the job.

“Those figures are pretty damning. But I was also shocked to find that 15 per cent of respondents said they never or almost never had enough money to cover all their essentials.  That just cannot be right.

“Forget two per cent, officers need a substantial pay rise so that morale can be improved and so that we can attract new recruits to the police service and also retain the experienced officers we already have.”

According to the Home Office submission to PRRB, the recent funding settlement provides funding for a pay uplift of “at least two per cent” in the 2022/23 financial year.

But officers have faced a 20 per cent real terms pay cut since 2010.

Ché Donald, the national vice-chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has expressed his disgust at the Home Office stance.

He said: “I can only assume the Home Office recommendation of a two per cent pay award to the Police Remuneration Review Body contains a typo and missed out the much needed 0 after the 2 to make 20.

“Anything else is not just grossly unfair, it is disgusting and shows just how little this Government really values police officers.

He added: “All police officers want is fair and equitable treatment in relation to pay, this recommendation of two per cent comes at a time when inflation is running at five per cent, with National Insurance increases and spikes in energy prices. We will continue to advance our plans to challenge this pay mechanism, which quite frankly, is nothing short of subjugation and servitude.”