A police petition to stop the Home Office “interfering” in the negotiation of police pay has more than 11,000 signatories to date.
The Police Federation of England and Wales set up the online petition to stop the Home Office from “undermining” the agreed 1979 Edmund-Davies arrangements for negotiating police pay, which have sought to reflect the unique status of police officers and their inability to take industrial action to secure fair pay deals.
Earlier this year, the Official Side of the Police Negotiating Board offered a 2.33% pay increase based on a new public sector index as recommended in Sir Clive Booth’s police pay review, but the Staff Side’s claim is for a 3.94% increase.
But Jan Berry, chair of the Police Federation, said that officers should not have to fight for a fair pay formula that takes account of the fact they are accountable for their actions, and would face imprisonment if they took industrial action.
Earlier this year, she said: “Many people were not involved with the decision to impose Sir Clive Booth’s recommendations, which suppress police pay. It’s not too late for them to stand up for British policing and ensure officers receive a fair pay award.”
As the final attempt to resolve the pay dispute failed earlier this month at a conciliation meeting between the Official and Staff Sides, the signatures are on the increase.
Berry also said striking may be police officers’ only option to resolve the ongoing pay dispute, despite it being illegal for them to do so.
The police pay petition is available until 3 February 2008.
