NPCC steps in to pay row

5 August 2021

West Midlands Police Federation has welcomed the intervention of chief officers after they stepped into the bitter pay row which sparked a vote of no confidence in Home Secretary Priti Patel and the withdrawal of support for the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB).

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has written to Ms Patel after a pay freeze on officers earning more than £24,000 per year was confirmed.

The letter from NPCC chair Martin Hewitt says: “Taken together with the continuing effects of a decade of austerity around officers’ pay, there is no question that properly rewarding our incredible people is now a significant issue of concern for chief constables.

“We simply believe they deserve better and that it is the responsibility of Government to address this across the forthcoming spending period.”

It continues: “For many it feels unfair and that their contribution is undervalued. And, unlike other parts of the public service, officers do not have the option of industrial action to make their case more strongly.

“As the Government makes spending decisions over coming months, we urge you to fund a settlement which properly reflects the important and complex work police officers do, and starts to address the pay shortfall.”

West Midlands Police Federation chair Jon Nott said: “The NPCC has made it clear that the Government position on pay is totally unacceptable.

“As we said when the decision was confirmed last month - enough is enough. The Government is effectively asking our members to take a pay cut and that is frankly an insult to the men and women who have been putting their lives on the line policing the pandemic.

“The Home Secretary should remember that police officers are dedicated to their jobs and display the utmost professionalism and determination every time they report for duty.

“We welcome the intervention of the NPCC and hope the message that our members feel badly betrayed by the Government will start to sink in.”