Pay: “Those in Government should hang their heads in shame.”

THE Government has given police officers just a 1% pay rise in 2017. There will be a 1% one-off bonus on top of this.

The Police Pay Review Body had recommended a consolidated 2% pay rise for all officers in 2017.

Reacting, Jim Gray, Chairman of Northumbria Police Federation, said: “This pay award must be seen in the context of a 15% real terms reduction in the wages of Police Officers since 2015.

“And also the fact that inflation stands today at 2.9%.

“As far as I can see, this alleged pay ‘rise’ is yet another drop in the real earnings of Police Officers. On top of that, my view is that the ‘pay cap’ appears, in reality, to remain for us, as only 1% is actually a pensionable pay rise and the other 1% is a non-pensionable ‘bonus’ for this year only.

“Police Officers will be rightly angry, frustrated and extremely disappointed by this pay award.

“In Northumbria Police we have seen a reduction of 900 Police Officers since 2010, which means the already extremely demanding and dangerous role which Police Officers perform day in and day out is now even more so.

“We have far fewer officers doing far more and to be ‘repaid’ (or rather not ‘repaid’) by the Government with this derisory payment is nothing short of disgraceful.

“In addition, my current understanding is that the ‘bonus’ element of this award must be financed by local Forces from their already beleaguered budgets, which in turn means that local Forces are going to be forced to make further cuts from personnel and / or services.

“Those in Government should hang their heads in shame.”