Police ‘mugged’ on new pay deal

Dec 8 2007 by Paul James, The Journal

POLICE in the North-East are demanding the right to strike. Officers yesterday warned of historic industrial action in the wake of a “treacherous” pay deal from the Government.

Both Northumbria Police Federation and Durham Police Federation, which represent rank and file officers, said members were pushing for the right to strike, which has been denied to police officers for 88 years.

The anger among officers was sparked when Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced that their 2.5% increase would be implemented from December 1, rather than backdated to September 1 as expected.

The Police Federation say the three-month difference represents a pay rise of just 1.9% and are threatening legal action. Their anger has been compounded by the Scottish Parliament offering officers north of the Border the 2.5% increase back to September.

Last night Northumbria Police Federation said confidence in the Home Secretary was “non-existent”, while Durham said the pay decision was taken against the recommendations of the Police Arbitration Tribunal. Failing to backdate the award will leave each police officer about £200 worse off.

Officers have, by law, been prevented from taking strike action since the last police strike in 1919.

But yesterday the chairman and secretary of Northumbria Police Joint Branch Board, Russ Watson and Alan Harding, issued a statement accusing the Government of stabbing police officers in the back.

The statement said: “The fury being expressed by our members is difficult to put into words, they are calling for action, to express their disgust for the treacherous way their pay award is being delivered.

“This Government tell the public how the police are having to work harder in the face of the increasing threat of terrorism, while sharpening the knife to stab the service in the back when it comes to rewarding police officers who have to deal with some of the most unsavoury individuals within society, and our pay should reflect this.

“We do not presently have the right to withdraw our labour but in a recent survey of our members in Northumbria, 49% want us to seek the right to strike. I wonder now after being bullied into enforcing a 1.9% pay rise if that figure is set to rise.

“The Home Secretary has lost what little respect she had from rank-and-file officers, our confidence in her is non-existent. Perhaps it is time for her to reflect on an appalling decision and go gracefully.

“She has exploited our unique position in society, we are accountable for our actions both on and off duty, and we are unable to take any form of industrial action. She has signalled the wind of change and I fear that the public will see an increasingly militant police service as we, like other sections of our communities, have to fight for our employment rights.”

Andy Metcalfe, Durham Police Federation chairman, said: “The way we have been treated is absolutely diabolical. All we want is a bit of fairness. We have to abide by the arbitration. The Government doesn’t. How can that be fair? They’ve done the right thing in Scotland, but not by us.

“I’m absolutely gobsmacked the Government is even contemplating doing this. It just shows the contempt they hold us in.”

Former Durham Police chief and Labour peer Lord Mackenzie, ex-president of the Police Superintendents Association, said the Government was “reneging” on the ruling by staging the rise. He said: “The police are in an invidious position. They can’t go on strike. They can’t bring the normal pressure to bear in negotiations. The police haven’t been able to strike since 1919 and we don’t want to go down that road, but we do need a formula which is agreed by everybody.”

Yesterday Ms Smith said that staging the award meant it was “just under” the Government’s inflation target of 2%.

She said: “That is me balancing my responsibilities to ensure that the police are fairly rewarded with taxpayers and with the sort of public sector pay awards for others such as nurses.”

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