Officers need a substantial pay rise

1 March 2022

The Police Federation’s Welsh Lead says police officers must be given a substantial pay increase that factors in the rising cost of living.

Nicky Ryan described the Home Office’s recommendation on the minimum amount police officers could receive in a pay rise this year as “insulting” and “unacceptable”.

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

Nicky said that members were already struggling and that a below-inflation pay rise could mean more officers facing financial difficulties.

She said: “After a decade of austerity, pay freezes and below-inflation rises, we’ve already seen officers’ pay cut by 20 per cent in real terms.

“That’s had a huge impact on officers and their families. We know from our recent Pay and Morale Survey that 44 per cent of officers in Wales worry about their finances and that 14 per cent don’t have enough to cover their monthly essentials.

“Inflation is soaring and the cost of living crisis is going to have a huge impact on officers’ finances, plunging more into difficulties.

“For the Government to recommend such a paltry pay settlement is an insult to our hard-working and dedicated officers, who sacrificed so much during the pandemic. It’s unacceptable.

“They need and deserve an substantial increase to cover the rising cost of living and to start to undo the years of cuts and pay freezes.”

Nicky’s comments were echoed by Ché Donald, the national vice-chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales.

He said: “Given that police officer pay has fallen by 20 per cent in real terms since 2010, 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.”