SPF launches ‘No Strike – Fair Pay’ campaign

The Federation said off-duty police officers with placards will gather outside a Scottish Police Authority meeting at the COSLA offices in Edinburgh on Thursday (August 24) and more similar events are planned.

In March, a pay claim was submitted for 8.5 per cent plus a pay level check and a pay index and to date no formal response has been received.

Police officers cannot take any form of industrial action and in return have historically been provided with fair pay, the SPF said.

SPF general secretary David Kennedy said: “Over the last two years teachers and the fire brigade have had 12.35 per cent rises and nurses and doctors 14.5 per cent. Last year we got five per cent and so far this year, nothing.

“Some of these other workers have gone on strike or threatened to but we cannot do that. We look to the Scottish government to treat us fairly and not take advantage of our lack of industrial rights.”

Mr Kennedy added: “Since 2006 we have lost over 16 per cent against inflation. The ten per cent special features payment has been eroded and we still work a 40-hour week, ten per cent more than the average. We could have made a massive claim like some workers did but we asked for 8.5 per cent, which would give us the average of what was paid to these other groups. We think this fair and justifiable.”

“In discussions, the Official Side said our claim for 8.5 per cent was ‘unaffordable’. It said the money to pay for this could not be found from within the police budget and the Scottish Government was not prepared to provide more money.

“The Scottish government has made massive savings on the police budget, £200 million on the creation of Police Scotland estimated to reach £2 billion by 2026. We suffer the pressures of providing a police service in light of these cuts. But we simply cannot accept that deficiencies in the budget should be patched up from the pockets of police officers.

“We cannot help observing that money for pay was found for other groups of workers, teachers, fire brigade, nurses, doctors. Our bottom line is that our pay claim is fair, just and no more than police officers’ deserve. We are determined to reach a fair pay settlement and we will do all within the PNB processes and our limited powers to achieve that.

“I have called on the Official Side to formally respond to our claim and bring this part of the negotiating process to an end. If that doesn’t happen we will press for early conciliation and if, at the end of that, we still do not have an acceptable offer, we will register a failure to agree and press for independent arbitration.”

SPF chair David Threadgold said: “Our members are working under significant stresses. I heard of one officer who, in the first 30 weeks of this year when he should have had 60 days off (two per week), had 24 of those days disrupted. He was required to work on those days and where he received 18 or more days’ notice he did not get paid, just another day off promised at some time in the future. He had to cancel his family plans for those days, and pay for child care (£150 a day). He had his days off disrupted and he paid for it.

“There is no doubt that we are being asked to do more with less and resources are stretched beyond the limit. Officer shortages, changes to shifts and days off are occurring for both day to day policing and special events such as the Grangemouth oil protests or the UCI World Cycling Championships.

“Threats of further cuts are on the way and only the Scottish government can put this right. Shortage of resources and unfair treatment in pay can only be resolved by the Scottish government giving the police proper priority in spending.

“We have advised our members not to succumb to pressure to do anything other than a proper job.”

Mr Threadgold stressed they do not want “the public to suffer during this pay negotiation” so the Federation is urging members to:

• Continue to do the job properly and not cut corners;
• Complete inquiries thoroughly and professionally;
• Do not work when off duty – time off is needed to recuperate;
• Do not come to work when ill;
• Do not accept anything less than regulatory entitlement;
• Report any oppressive conduct;
• Ensure there is proper training and equipment; and
• Ensure the working environment is safe.

“We do not have the right to take industrial action but we do have the power of persuasion,” Mr Threadgold added. “All we are asking for is fair treatment in pay.”