Fed secretary hits out over claims of two per cent pay rise

25 July 2018

The Home Secretary’s claims to value police officers when awarding them a pay rise that amounts to only one per cent are just hollow words, according to West Midlands Police Federation secretary Steve Grange.

Sajid Javid has today announced a two per cent pay rise for all officers that will come into effect in September.

“Even if this was a two per cent pay rise as he claims it would be an insult to police officers. But in reality this is a one per cent pay rise as the Government is giving two per cent with one hand – a consolidated rise - and then taking away one per cent with the other - the removal of the bonus it gave last year,” Steve explains.

“It may have been sometime since Mr Javid worked in the Treasury but when I went to school two minus one was one.”

Steve has also hit out at the Government for once again ignoring the recommendations of the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) which had proposed a three per cent pay uplift which was just below the 3.4 per cent increase the Police Federation of England and Wales had sought.

“Police officers will, of course, be disappointed with this pay rise, given that to some officers this will mean that they receive as little as £2.50 a week extra,” he says, “At a time when they are under huge pressure due to increased demand and reduced resources, this will feel like another smack in the face from a Government which while claiming to support officers just seems to be adding to the difficulties they are facing.

“At the Police Federation conference in Birmingham in May, police minister Nick Hurd said he would argue on our behalf and call on the Government to implement the PRRB recommendations in full unless they were ‘bonkers’. Since I don’t consider a three per cent increase bonkers, we can only assume that he either didn’t argue for us or, if he did, he didn’t have any success.

“But then we also find ourselves questioning whether the new Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, is really standing with us and gets the pressures we are under. Only two weeks ago, he was at the bravery awards to meet officers who had put their lives on the line in serving our communities. He says he is supporting us and values us but sadly they just feel like hollow words.”

In deciding the award which will apply to officers of all ranks, the Government says it has strived to strike a balance between overall affordability to forces and fairness to the taxpayer, recognising the importance of continuing to reduce debt as a share of the economy while investing in vital public services.

The Home Secretary said: “Our police officers do an incredible job in the face of complex crime and rising demand, and I’m grateful for their continued dedication to keeping us safe.  This award represents the highest consolidated pay award since 2010. 

“I’ll continue to fight on behalf of police to ensure they have the resources they need to do their jobs effectively.”

The award comes after the Government removed a one per cent cap on increases to public sector pay in 2017.

The PRRB had recommended that the one per cent non-consolidated award received in 2017-18 be consolidated, and that a further two per cent consolidated award be given to all police officers.

The Federation has called the pay rise ‘derisory’ with national vice-chair Ché Donald claiming it was an insult to officers, with some just getting £2.50 a week extra when it comes into effect.

It also condemned the announcement in the pay award of a starting salary of as little as £18,000 a year for new police apprentices.