Inspecting ranks (Part-4): Is it time to revise PNB 1994 Agreement?

2 August 2024

Continuing the blog series, Acting Deputy National Secretary John Partington raises pertinent questions about the 1994 Agreement which changed the way in which inspecting rank officers worked within the police service.

On 1 September 1994, the environment in which the inspecting ranks worked within the police service changed beyond recognition. It was on that day that the ‘new conditions of working for inspectors and chief inspectors’ were agreed by the now defunct Police Negotiating Board (PNB), and with it the entitlements to payment for all overtime and working on public holidays and rest days were removed (except cancelled annual leave where payment is still an option).

There has been much confusion since the introduction of the 1994 agreement and many colleagues appear to know very little about what that actually meant – labouring under many misunderstandings which are making their actual working conditions more arduous than they really need to be. However, against this backdrop the role of policing and the work of Inspectors and Chief Inspectors have also changed beyond recognition. In the early 1990s many of the Inspecting ranks were office based, Monday to Friday 9-5. Now those in the Inspecting ranks find themselves covering numerous roles and risk areas including hostage negotiators and firearms commanders as well as covering increased workloads in their ‘day jobs’. Many in the ranks are now asked to routinely work shift patterns as part of their weekly work. 

The misunderstandings around the Inspecting rank regulations and the need to cater for modern day policing can be exploited by managers and has resulted in the inspecting ranks arguably becoming one of the most put upon in the service. A national survey conducted by PFEW for the Inspector and Chief Inspectors will be launched on Monday 5 August and we would encourage as many of you as possible to complete this survey. The survey will be live until 2359 hours on Sunday 8 September 2024.

It is now 30 years since the 1994 agreement and the roles and responsibilities for the Inspecting ranks have changed. Is it now time for the agreement to be revisited? If you are of this view then you may have views on some of the areas outlined below.

• Payment for work on a bank holiday or payment when working over 8 hours on a bank holiday.
• The right to a shift pattern, currently there is no right to a shift pattern unlike Constables and Sergeants.
• Payment for work on a rest day, should there be an option for pay instead or a day back in lieu.
• Payment if over 48 worked over a one-week period, we know many people are working over 48 hours per week. This was never envisaged in the 1994 agreement and is it time to draw a line on the number of hours the additional payment covers.
• Increase to the lower pay point of Chief Inspectors, there is very little difference between the top rate Inspectors pay and the lower rate Chief Inspectors pay. This almost gives the appearance that the Chief Inspector rank is a steppingstone.

Is it time that more reward was given to those who chose to remain as Chief Inspectors?

You can access the earlier parts of this blog series here:

Inspecting ranks (Part-1): Know your rights and manage your time (polfed.org)

Inspecting ranks (Part-2): Understanding rest days in lieu (polfed.org)

Inspecting ranks (Part-3): Managing your hours and flexibility (polfed.org)