Government backs Winsor Review despite opposition

The Home Secretary has backed proposals laid out in the Winsor Review of remuneration and conditions of service saying she will put forward every one to the negotiating mechanisms, despite strong criticism from staff representatives.

Theresa May welcomed the former rail regulator Tom Winsor’s report, published on March 8, which recommended suspending police pay increases, reducing overtime payments, the abolition of special priority payments (SPP) and competency-related threshold payments (CRTP) for federated ranks.

It also said there should be a freeze in bonus schemes for superintendents and chief officers and the introduction of additional payments for those working between 8pm and 6am or with specific skills.

In a written ministerial statement to the House of Commons today, Ms May said the Government welcomes the principles of the report and believes they provide a framework for fair and sustainable arrangements for remuneration and conditions of service.

“The Review also sets out a package of specific recommendations for police officers’ and staff remuneration and conditions of service, based on these guiding principles. I have consulted the independent chair of the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) and Police Advisory Board (PAB) for England and Wales and I will direct those bodies to consider the proposals that are within their respective remits for police officers in England and Wales as a matter of urgency.

“I will also be writing to the Association of Police Authorities (APA) and the Police Staff Council to recommend that they consider the report’s recommendations in respect of police staff in England and Wales.”

However, the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) said that it is “extremely disappointed that Tom Winsor`s report fails to demonstrate any evidence based methodology or reasoning”.

At the time of the recommendations being announced, the PFEW reacted angrily to what it says will make the police service a very “unattractive profession”.

Paul McKeever, Chairman of the PFEW, said: “The Home Secretary is choosing to put forward a flawed report of personal views, not evidence, to the Police Negotiating Board.

“We expect the Police Negotiating Board will give each proposal the in-depth analysis and consideration it deserves before any decision on any of the proposals is made. To make any changes to police terms and conditions, the unique working arrangements and special relationship the police have in society must at all times be borne in mind.

“Whilst police officers understand that these are just proposals at this stage, they are putting their last ounce of faith in this government to honour the processes and procedures in place to protect their unique working status. It is therefore incumbent on the Home Secretary that she honours the decisions of the negotiating machinery.”

The PFEW added that many of the proposals put forward in the Winsor Review cause “grave concern and consternation” amongst officers, particularly as many expect to lose out financially.

The Home Office said the recommendations are based on a number of broad principles which it sees as fair including:

• fairness is an essential part of any new system of pay and conditions;
• the office of constable is the bedrock of British policing;
• the demands of policing should be given full and proper weight;
• people should be paid for what they do, the skills they have and are applying in their work, and the weights of the jobs they do;
• people should be paid for how well they work;
• a single police service – distinctions in pay and other conditions of service between police officers and staff should be objectively justified;
• arrangements should be simple to implement and administer; and
• phased introduction of reform.