SPF rejects offer of £565 pay increase

The Joint Central Committee (JCC)  was unanimous in its support for the rejection of the offer, and unanimously agreed to support internal forms of action. The committee agreed this action was both necessary and proportionate given the “continued failure” of the“official side” – the Scottish Police Authority, Police Scotland and ministers from the Scottish Government – to return to the negotiating table to seek to resolve the dispute.

Speaking after the first day of the meeting Calum Steele, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation said: “Our Executive Committee has today unanimously endorsed a series of actions to be undertaken by our members as a result of the failure of the Government to seek to resolve our ongoing pay dispute.

“At their most basic level these actions amount to the wholesale removal of the good will that the service requires to operate. Significantly this good will and flexibility saves the police service money, and its removal will be both costly and disruptive. We will use every sinew of the law to safeguard our members’ personal health and safety and will be further communicating with them over the coming days.

“These actions will be seeking to mitigate the disruptive and costly impact of policing on them and their families, at a time when the cost of living crisis is compounding the mental and physical ill health of officers.

The resolve of our members is strong. These actions are capable of being escalated, and they are capable of being sustained. We do not expect the impact of these actions to be felt by our communities as they are entirely internally focussed, and are not in any way designed to diminish the service we provide them.”