Police Remuneration Changes Rubber Stamped
Largest shake up of pay and pensions in a generation will go ahead, confirms Home Secretary.
Courtesy of - Cliff Caswell - Police Oracle
The largest shake up of police remuneration in a generation is to go ahead after the Home Secretary rubber stamped most of Tom Winsor’s Part I recommendations.
Theresa May endorsed the package of measures after they were considered by the Police Arbitration Tribunal. While ten of the 18 recommendations passed unchanged by the body, five were modified and there was no award made on three.
The Home Secretary also endorsed proposals to increase officer pension contributions highlighting that all officers would pay more despite opposition to the move.
As reported on PoliceOracle.com, the Government has claimed that the changes to the remuneration package will save in the region of £150 million per year.
But policing staff organisations have voiced dismay, with the Federation in particular claiming they will bring hardship to officers and deal a body blow to morale.
In a written ministerial statement, Mrs May said: “These reforms represent an important first step in modernising pay and conditions so they are fair to officers and taxpayers.
“They include redistributing pay to officers who work unsocial hours, abolishing ineffective post-related payments, suspending some elements of time served pay and improving managers’ ability to manage shift arrangements.
“The PAT recommended that a small number of recommendations should be deferred until Part II and has made longer-term recommendations on pay structures.
“We will consider these matters with Part II in line with the Reviewer’s principals.”
The Winsor recommendations accepted by the PAT include plans for the introduction of the Unsocial Hours Allowance, adapted variable shift arrangements and the suspension of bonus schemes for chief officers and superintendents.
However, the Tribunal also suggested that several of the recommendations should be modified, including two-year suspension of incremental change progression for all officers below the top of their pay scale.
The PAT proposed that the first three steps on the constables' scale should be excluded from the proposed suspension – although the move is unlikely to satisfy many officers.
Police Federation Chairman Paul McKeever said that members remained angry, particularly as the Staff Side of the PNB had tabled an equivalent table of savings “that did not result in many of our members experiencing disproportionate financial detriment”.
Speaking after the Mrs May’s statement, Mr McKeever emphasised: “We are pleased that the Home Secretary has honoured the Police Negotiating Board process and will ratify the decision of the Police Arbitration Tribunal.
"However, while we accept that the decision of the PAT is binding on both Sides of PNB, it does not mean that we're happy with the outcome. Whichever way you dress it up, this will mean serious financial hardship for police officers.
"Let us not forget, this Government is unduly targeting police officers. In addition to what amounts to a four-year public sector pay freeze and increased pension contributions, police officers are having to contend with a range of changes to terms and conditions; the result of which is effectively a pay cut.
Mr McKeever also branded the decision to increase pension contributions as a disappointment, particularly as officers did not have any rights to industrial action.
"We also wait to see what the Winsor Part Two report recommends and will fight to ensure that police are not financially disadvantaged any more than they are now."
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