The National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has welcomed the influential support of Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick for a pay increase for police officers.
National Chair John Apter
However, John Apter called the continued lack of response from the government regarding PFEW’s attempts to reform the pay mechanism as ‘disrespectful and at worst contemptible.’
Mr Apter reacted to comments made by the UK’s leading police officer at the recent Police Superintendents' Association (PSA) 2021 Conference in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Dame Cressida told delegates: “For all the police officers who continue to put themselves in harm’s way, who have served the public loyally and steadfastly throughout the pandemic, who have been injured, assaulted, abused.
“For all the police officers who wake up each day or get ready each night to protect people, to save lives, to prevent crime, to tackle perpetrators, not knowing what the day will hold.
“And for their families, for all of you, I do believe police deserve a pay rise. And they deserve a fair system for calculating it, one in which people who cannot withdraw labour, or work to rule, can have confidence. And I believe the public support us.”
In July, the Chair and other PFEW colleagues hand-delivered a letter to the Prime Minister and Chancellor setting out our anger at the zero per cent pay award for police officers this year. We withdraw support and engagement from the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) and expressed no confidence in the current Home Secretary.
Mr Apter added: “I really welcome the comments from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, who could not be any clearer about her message on pay.
“However, PFEW has still had no response to our attempts in July to engage government in meaningful discussions about a police officer pay mechanism which is no longer not fit for purpose. Our stance has since been supported by many Chief Officers such as Dame Cressida and Police and Crime Commissioners.
“Our plea for a fairer pay system has gone completely unheard, and we have not had the courtesy of a response to our letter we sent withdrawing support and engagement PRRB. At best this is disrespectful to my 130,000 colleagues, and at worst contemptible.
“What must come from this is a pay mechanism which is fair for my colleagues. With limitations put on them as servants of the Crown, they can’t take industrial action or withdraw labour.
“They fully deserve a fit-for-purpose pay mechanism they can have full faith in. We are doing all we can to achieve this.”
