12 August 2008

Dear Police Federation member,

We write to you personally to express our disappointment and anger at the way you have been treated by this government for the second year running and to update you on the current pay situation for 2008.

You will recall that last year police pay was referred to the Police Arbitration Tribunal (PAT) and their decision was that the pay award should be 2.5%. The Home Secretary then decided to backdate the award to 1st December, not 1st September as was the PAT award, which was in line with previous annual pay increases, thereby reducing the value of the award to 1.9%.

During this year’s negotiations we were assured that police officers’ pay would be viewed more favourably. However, the only formal offer the Official Side made was 2.325%, based on the PAT index, which reflects public sector salaries.

The Staff Side of the Police Negotiating Board, of which the Police Federation of England and Wales is a constituent part, put forward a fair and reasonable claim of 3.5% based on the median of the IDS index, which takes account of a mix of public and private sector pay awards.

Throughout the negotiations this year the Official Side pursued a multi-year deal and suggested a number of different informal offers. However, a multi-year deal was clearly unacceptable for police officers in the current volatile economic climate, particularly in the absence of a provision with agreed trigger points to allow renegotiation at any time during a three-year deal. Further information on the multi-year discussions can be found in the Police Pay 2008/09 update Federation News (issue 35, July 2008) on our website at www.polfed.org

Unfortunately at the PNB meeting held on 23rd July the only formal claims tabled were the Official Side one-year deal of 2.325% and the Staff Side claim for 3.5%. As no agreement could be reached a ‘failure to agree’ was registered and the matter has been referred to the Police Arbitration Tribunal.

During this year’s negotiations we were assured that police officers’ pay would be viewed more favourably. However, the only formal offer the Official Side made was 2.325%, based on the PAT index, which reflects public sector salaries.

The Staff Side of the Police Negotiating Board, of which the Police Federation of England and Wales is a constituent part, put forward a fair and reasonable claim of 3.5% based on the median of the IDS index, which takes account of a mix of public and private sector pay awards.

Throughout the negotiations this year the Official Side pursued a multi-year deal and suggested a number of different informal offers. However, a multi-year deal was clearly unacceptable for police officers in the current volatile economic climate, particularly in the absence of a provision with agreed trigger points to allow renegotiation at any time during a three-year deal. Further information on the multi-year discussions can be found in the Police Pay 2008/09 update Federation News (issue 35, July 2008) on our website at www.polfed.org

Unfortunately at the PNB meeting held on 23rd July the only formal claims tabled were the Official Side one-year deal of 2.325% and the Staff Side claim for 3.5%. As no agreement could be reached a ‘failure to agree’ was registered and the matter has been referred to the Police Arbitration Tribunal.

We are extremely disappointed and understand the deep sense of anger and frustration you must feel finding yourself in this position again, wondering what the pay settlement will be

and when you will receive it. We can assure you we will do everything in our power to deliver

the best possible deal and push for the arbiters to convene as quickly as possible to minimise the delay of the pay increase at this time of rising food, fuel and utility costs.

Moving forward, we will be demanding that the Home Secretary implement legislative change to ensure that the decision of the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal is binding on the government. If this is refused and we are unable to secure binding arbitration then we will use the mandate you gave us in the membership poll earlier this year to pursue full industrial rights for all police officers.

All too often we hear the platitudes of the Prime Minister and other government ministers describing what a difficult job we do, how brave we are and how much we are valued. In July, in the foreword to the Policing Green Paper, the Home Secretary said "We ask the men and women who make up our police service to perform roles that are challenging, demanding and often dangerous. We expect them to do so professionally, to the highest standards and in circumstances that often test their limits. There are few responsibilities that are more important in a democratic society…." We have made it clear to the Home Secretary that actions speak louder than words.

Clearly this government still fails to recognise that police officers are not employees, but independent Officers of the Crown with restrictions on both our private and professional lives. The government has again failed to respect this fundamental difference between police officers and other workers when it comes to determining our pay. We will continue to fight for appropriate recognition; we are not the same as other workers, and have made this clear in a letter to all members of parliament whilst seeking their support for binding arbitration.

As part of our campaign for fair pay we will be publishing a series of easy to digest synopses of police regulations and determinations, which are your legally binding terms and conditions of employment. We are concerned that some of these terms are not well known amongst all members.

You should be aware of your rights so as to ensure that you secure your full entitlements as well as being aware of the obligations of your chief officer and police authority, under those regulations and determinations.

Our members together with chief officers and police authorities are expected to comply with their obligations under the police regulations and determinations. This is particularly so when police officers are dissatisfied with the way we are being treated by the government.

Finally, we can assure you that with your support the Police Federation will do everything possible to ensure that you are fairly rewarded for the difficult and often dangerous job you carry out on behalf of the public.

The fight for fair pay continues.

Yours sincerely

Finally, we can assure you that with your support the Police Federation will do everything possible to ensure that you are fairly rewarded for the difficult and often dangerous job you carry out on behalf of the public.

The fight for fair pay continues.

Yours sincerely