‘Police pay rise is decent thing to do during cost of living crisis’

30 June 2022

Hertfordshire Police Federation is backing calls for a meaningful pay rise to help officers cope with soaring inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.

Chair Luke Mitchell said colleagues had endured a 20 per cent real terms cut in pay since 2010 when set against inflation. This is making it difficult for officers to make ends meet, with some Federations even issuing food vouchers.

He said: “Police officers are the only frontline workers who do not have the luxury of being able to take strike action. This puts us in a unique position and places a special responsibility on the Government to ensure that we are treated fairly. We are keeping our end of the bargain and it’s time for the Government to do so as well.”

With household bills and petrol prices soaring, the Federation is calling for a “meaningful pay rise” for rank and file officers in September to keep pace with inflation, and longer-term certainty around police funding which would allow for proper planning.

Earlier, Steve Hartshorn, the new national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, commented on the pay issue in his latest blog.

He said: “Is it just me or do you also notice the irony of 139,000 police officers across England and Wales, who have been consciously denied a real term pay rise for 11 years, policing a three-day strike caused to address pay conditions of 40,000 rail workers? The police officers of our country are not asking the Government for a favour. They are asking for their rightful entitlement – fair pay!”

National Federation deputy chair Tiff Lynch added: “It is shocking to me that we are hearing all too often now that police officers are having to go to food banks because they can’t make ends meet. Due to the price hike on fuel many police officers are already car sharing, but it’s very hard for officers to finish at the same time each shift.

“It is time for the Government to stop feeding officers the scraps of below-inflation pay rises or a pay freeze. Our brave officers, who are out there risking their lives, serving and protecting the public, and actually pay them the wage they deserve.”

Read Steve and Tiff’s blogs on police pay and industrial action here and here.