Winsor lacks evidence and harms equality, claims Federation

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has expressed its “extreme disappointment” over what it says is the failure of the Employers Side of the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) to evidence a number of recommendations made in the Winsor Review.

Ian Rennie, General Secretary of the PFEW, submitted the Federation’s proposals to the PNB in which it made a number of objections, including the lack of opportunity it was given to express views on the recommendations. The PNB met all last week to discuss the proposals.

The Federation also said no evidence has been provided to substantiate recommendations such as the removal of double time and the five-day notice period for a requirement to work on a rostered rest day.

Mr Rennie said: “There are many elements of this package which would cause considerable financial hardship to many of our members, and there are some recommendations which would fundamentally weaken the position of police officers in relation to their work/life balance.

“Sadly, Winsor has clearly failed to recognise that unlike other workers there is a lack of personal choice for police officers who must obey lawful orders, including being directed by senior officers as to what duty they perform, when they perform it and where they perform it.”

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) recently reassured the Federation that any savings made from the implementation of recommendations in the Winsor Review will be reinvested back into policing. However, this has now raised questions over whether government cuts are intended to reduce the national deficit, or whether it is to cut back on policing.

“These recommendations amount to the removal of £485 million from police pay by 2013/14, which according to Winsor are savings he was required to make for the Treasury, although we now understand that assurances have been given by government that this money will be retained in policing.

“So the reality is that it’s not about making savings towards this government’s 20 per cent cut to the police budget over the next four years, it’s simply about reducing police officers’ pay. I have heard Winsor say it, so there really is no doubt – these recommendations will see some officers as much as £4,000 worse off in cash terms.”

The PFEW’s submission also raised concerns over the impact some of the former rail regulator’s recommendations will have on female officers – who represent almost 40 per cent of officers with less than five years’ service.

“The service has benefited from greater flexible working and this must be maintained regardless of the outcome of these negotiations if we are to safeguard the operational resilience of the service with the reducing numbers of police officers in the future.

“Any proposals which make it even easier for managers to place impositions on officers’ personal time will find little support from Staff Side. None of these matters have found their way into Winsor’s equality impact assessment (EIA). He seems to think that equality means treating everyone badly, rather than assessing how his recommendations will impact on people from different groups. Clearly, his recommendations will impact very differently on young single officers, married officers with children, or officers with a disability,” said Mr Rennie.

The General Secretary added that the recommendations have the “potential to make women an endangered species in policing”.

While Staff Side may be able to reach agreement with the Official Side in principle, the PFEW said there are bound to be elements of the recommendations on which the Staff Side will not be able to take a final position prior to seeing Tom Winsor’s second report.

Home Secretary Theresa May has set July 26 as the deadline for the next full meeting for the PNB to complete its consideration of the recommendations in Tom Winsor’s first report and reach agreement. Part Two of the Winsor Review is expected to be released in the summer.