Although a lot of the activity is mundane and physical (tending towards blue collar) the required attitude and ethics are professional (tending strongly towards professional).  In my view policing is a profession, not a job.

good point backlash ..thread started !!!!

I hope this pay episode 'comes to a head' this year, and that the Federation go for the government in the best way they can.  Police Officers are grossly underpaid in relation to other professions. In my opinion if the police were to get a 50% pay rise, that would be a fair wage, but only those who do the donkey work, i.e Inspectors and below.

This is just history repeating itself....... until it becomes the Government of the day to rustle up another Royal Commission on Police Pay due to the shortage of Officers (Which can probably now bypassed by using PCSO's).

By the way, talking of working for nothing..... It used to be that you had to parade 15 minutes before your duty time, and if you were not there, you were late for parade and sent home and told to report for the next shift! No you were not paid for that 15 minutes either. Likewise booking off usually meant another 5 to 10 minutes were added to your time! Five minutes for two tea breaks, and a very strict 45 minutes for your main meal. (In the Met one used to sign in, in the presence of the Sgt, in Book 91 (I think it was - 90 was the Stops Recording Book?). You also attended District Training School whilst you were a Probationer two or three evenings a week (three hours in duration) in your own time!

there are many of us who are due to retire in the next 12 months

There certainly are!  Last actual working day 30th April.  Counting the days!

I was asked if I wanted to "stay on" on the 30+ scheme or would I consider returning to do my present job in a civilian post.

I smiled, thanked them, and told them I would rather slit my wrists.  My pension is obviously very important to me but I have another job to go to, commencing August next year.  It is in a distant land and has nothing remotely to do with their police or criminal justice system. 

I sincerely hope thereafter never to have to set foot in a police station again.

I reckon that if the Fed really push the case, they'll get the same as this year, and I'd bet content with that.

Brutus

The Pedal Cycle allowance went  out with the Torch Allowance, 4p(in old money) a month, the Typewriter allowance, the boot allowance, I think that was 2/-d(two shillings a month), and the 12s 6d a month plain clothes allowance. Plus the loss of 1 days Annual leave in 1966.  We used to work one day a month on a rest day, called an ARD, and get paid for it at time and a half, then the government gave us a £6 a  month pay rise, and what happened, the force stopped paying the ARD so we got no rise at all.

The biggest kick in the teeth was under Maggie Thatcher, when Poll Tax came in, those who had lived in FREE police houses were told to pay the tax.  Thanks Maggie.

Correct, their allowances have not been cut.  In fact they have recently allocated themselves a new allowance - to produce their own web sites.  I could be wildly out but something at tnhe back of my mind thinks it is £10,000 per year.