Page 13 - Federation Magazine: April/May 2018

‘This is not finger in

the wind guess work’

says exasperated

Fed chair

olice Federation of England and Wales agreed deadline, but if you saw the letter sent
(PFEW) chair Calum Macleod has by the Home Secretary to the PRRB last
Pspoken of his ‘exasperation’ over autumn, directing what aspects they should
fighting for a 3.4 per cent pay increase for focus on for this year’s pay award, you’d be
officers. forgiven for thinking that the NPCC plans for Calum Macleod, chair of the Police
He has submitted written evidence to the pay reform were fully developed. Federation for England and Wales.
Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) “Whether the Home Secretary was duped
calling for a 3.4 per cent increase in salary for in to believing the NPCC plans were more deadline too.
officers and demanding the one per cent the advanced than they are, or whether the PRRB “Ironically, for the leaders of a profession
Government ‘cheated us out of last year’ be and staff associations were being set an that concentrates on evidence, evidence is the
consolidated and not be considered as part of impossible task, we were invited to comment one thing lacking to support much of the
this year’s settlement. on nothing more than a list of NPCC ifs, buts NPCC’s aspirations. It’s rather like having been
In a blog on the PFEW website he says: and maybes. That is completely asked to comment on the Mona Lisa when all
“This is the fourth year that we have unacceptable.” Da Vinci had drawn was hair and eyebrows.”
submitted evidence to the PRRB, and that is Calum also expresses his frustrations with He concludes: “Last year, the PRRB was
exactly what ours is – strong, well-researched the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) brave and, despite the shackles set by
evidence that takes account of the which, he states, will probably fail to deliver Government, put its neck on the line
uniqueness of policing, the increasing its written submission to the PRRB on time recommending an overall pay uplift that was
pressures and demands on police officers and despite an agreed timescale. more than the one per cent public sector pay
inflation now and predictions for the year to He states: “But why I was expecting cap. This year, we ask that they be brave again.
come. This is not finger in the wind guess anything else? We know the annual debacle And then Government must stop patting us
work; our credible submissions have been of arranging duties over Christmas, despite it on the back with one hand, while picking our
commented on as such by the PRRB. being 25 December every year. And the NPCC pockets with the other. They must honour the
“If I sound exasperated with the situation, is not alone – it seems the Home Office and PRRB process and implement their
it’s because I am. Not just because it seems the Association of Police and Crime recommendation in full; and give us the
we are the only people capable of meeting an Commissioners are likely to fail to meet the additional one per cent consolidated pay they
owe us from last year too.”
Whole public sector needs pay rise

The news that NHS staff are set to get a pay Government treated all its workers with the Responsibility for 2018.
rise is a step in the right direction – but it’s same respect and increased wages for all. If Firefighters were offered a two per cent
about time it was spread across the whole of they can do it for one, they should do it for all. basic pay increase from last July, with a
the public sector, according to West Midlands “Police officers, firefighters, prison officers, potential further three per cent increase in
Police Federation. teachers and the armed services have all been line for this April. But this was rejected by
John Williams, acting chair, said the hit in the pocket as a result of the austerity their union.
Government should be increasing pay to all measures imposed by the Government. In real Teachers and the armed forces are still
public sector workers who have endured terms, they have all had a wage reduction over waiting to hear what their pay offer will be
years of their wages being frozen as part of the past seven years as the price of living as for the coming year.
the austerity programme. kept on rising while their wages have not. In the last review, some of the lowest
The NHS rise is set to be funded through “It is justly unfair that one body is paid teaching staff received a two per cent
extra money from the Treasury, while any rise rewarded in this way while the others all pay increase - but most were kept at one per
given to police officers and prison officers has suffer. Yet again, it does nothing for morale at cent.
to be funded through their existing budget, a time when everyone is struggling.” Calum Macleod, chair of the Police
meaning, more than likely, sacrifices will have NHS staff will get an average of 6.5 per Federation for England and Wales, said: “It is
to be made in other areas of the budget in cent over three years - but half of nurses will right that NHS workers are given adequate
order to increase the pay of officers. receive more than that, and the lowest paid pay for what they do but it should not be one
John said: “I am not begrudging anyone in NHS staff will receive pay rises of as much as rule for one and one rule for another.
the NHS their pay rise in the slightest – it is 29 per cent. “There is more to the pay rise than meets
thoroughly overdue and they do an incredibly Meanwhile, police and prison officers have the eye - the devil is in the detail and it
difficult and challenging job on a daily basis. pay offers of below the 2.4 per cent inflation should never be at the expense of losing any
“However, I believe it is about time the rate forecast by the Office for Budget holiday entitlement.”

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