SCOTTISH
POLICE FEDERATION
5 Woodside Place, Glasgow, G3 7QF
MEDIA
RELEASE
The Scottish Police Federation represents all police officers in the
ranks of chief inspector and below, about 15,000 people, over 98% of
all police officers in Scotland.
To:
Date:
Subject: |
Editor
on request
23
August 2006
Police
Pay Award 2006 |
In
July 2006, police across the UK claimed a 3% pay increase on the basis
of a long-standing agreement (see footnote) . Their
‘employers', the Official Side of the Police Negotiating Board, refused
to respond. No agreement was reached at a conciliation meeting held
on 21 August 2006 and the matter will now go to arbitration through
ACAS. Norrie Flowers , Chairman of the Scottish Police Federation said,
“There
is no good reason for the delay. We were assured earlier this year that
despite ongoing negotiations the pay increase for this year would go
ahead on the basis of our long standing agreement. We took that assurance
in good faith and we have been badly let down. Police officers had a
legitimate expectation that the increase would be applied to their pay
with effect from 1 st September this year. That is not now going to
happen.
It
is obvious to everyone right now that the police is a vital public service
and that we are working harder than ever before. To renege on a long-standing
agreement in this way at this time is very unfair and officers will
feel under-valued and betrayed. Government has to share responsibility
as Scottish Ministers, the Home Office and the Northern Ireland Office
all have seats on the Official Side. There is also the strong suspicion
that the Treasury is pulling the strings here.
The
Federation is very angry about this and we will be meeting with colleagues
from across the UK in the very near future to decide on what else we
can do.”
Notes
to Editors
•
The anniversary date for police pay is
1st September each year
•
Police pay is linked to a survey commissioned
by the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) entitled ‘Pay Awards for Non-Manual
Employees outside Public Services Sector'
•
The survey measures pay movements to
7 June each year and police pay is linked to median increase in
total pay. This showed a 3 per cent increase to 7 June 2006.
•
In 1978 Edmund-Davies Committee of Inquiry
on the Police, said in its Report on Negotiating Pay and Machinery:
“In common with all those who submitted evidence for our consideration,
this Committee is satisfied that the absence of the right to strike
is a serious deprivation for any worker. It is essential that the
police should not suffer in pay because they are deprived of the
right to strike, and that it should be put beyond doubt that they
are being paid fairly.”
For further information contact Lesley Stevenson at 5 Woodside
Place, Glasgow, G3 7QF
Telephone: 0141 332 0901 Mobile: 07967 104173 Fax: 0141 331 2436
Email: lesley.stevenson@spf.org.uk
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