Freezing the pay of public sector workers is completely unfair, says Kent Police Federation Chairman

20 November 2020

Freezing the pay of millions of public sector workers – including police officers - would be a completely unfair way of repaying them for their hard work in the effort to combat Covid-19, the Chairman of Kent Police Federation has said.

It has been widely reported today that the Government is considering announcing a public sector pay freeze in next week’s Spending Review to cover the UK’s deficit in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown.

Neil Mennie, Chairman of Kent Police Federation, said: “It is very disappointing to see that having not long emerged from a sustained pay freeze it appears set to return. We must recognise that many people are facing uncertain times and much concern over current and future employment and the economic pressure that the pandemic has caused.

“The economic and political arguments will continue long into the future about how to foot the bill and its somewhat inevitable all of us will bear a portion of those costs.

“However is it right that public sector pay is treated as a sort of bank where a small deposit after a long freeze is then met by a substantial withdrawal using a long freeze again?

“This isn’t about a willingness not to contribute, it’s about the formula and I don’t think our members will see an extended pay freeze as a fair answer given the huge efforts made by them and other parts of the public sector to maintain our society during this difficult period.”

During the last recession, from 2011, public sector workers were subjected to a pay freeze and then a pay cap for a number of years.

This resulted in an 18% real-terms pay cut for hard working police officers.

Police Federation of England and Wales National Chairman John Apter said today: “During the pandemic, the Government has thanked and celebrated members of the public sector; to freeze their pay and penalise these same workers would be morally bankrupt, unforgivable and a betrayal.”

“Yes we’re in tough times, but this would be extremely damaging for those very key workers the Government has applauded over the past several months.

“After [nearly] a decade of public sector pay freezes/caps, this would be an unforgivable decision if it were to happen, the Government must stop and think before doing this.”

When questioned, the Treasury declined to comment on the reports but pointed to language used by Rishi Sunak in a letter about the Spending Review in July.

The letter outlined that in the "interest of fairness we must exercise restraint in future public sector pay awards, ensuring that across this year and the spending review period, public sector pay levels retain parity with the private sector".

It has been reported that nurses and doctors will be exempt from the future pay freeze.

In 2020, police officers received a 2.5% pay rise.