A proposed pay rise for officers of 1.3% has been labelled derisory by Staffordshire Police Federation.
It says the Home Office plan to set aside £70m for police officer salaries in 2019/20 represents a real term pay cut and won’t go anywhere near helping stressed-out officers cope with the hike in living costs.
If confirmed, the pay review would represent a 1.3% salary uplift for officers in 2019/20, a figure falling well short of the 5% suggested by the PFEW.
Federation Chairman Keith Jarvis wants to see members get the pay rise they deserve and says the public is fully behind them being paid more.
“The suggested pay rise of 1.3% once again will be seen as derisory, given the constant pressure, the expectation to do more with less and to deal somehow with the epidemic of knife and violent crime we’re seeing in some areas.
“How can you reward officers by giving them a pay cut in real terms when the offer is less than inflation and the rising domestic costs they face?
“A recent YouGov poll showed support for a better pay settlement for officers and a recognition from the Government that its priority must be the protection of its communities which forces up and down the country are struggling to do with insufficient officers to deal with increasing demand.”
Submissions to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) must be recognised by the Government, Keith stressed.
“I would hope our well-evidenced submissions to the PRRB are acknowledged and that officers get a substantial pay increase, perhaps in line with that enjoyed by MPs?”
