Police deserve ‘fair and justifiable’ pay rise of 8.5%, says federation

Police are being urged not to report for duty when they should not be working, as the body that represents rank-and-file officers called for a “fair and justifiable” pay rise of 8.5%.

The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) said its pay demand comes at a time when the force is “stretched beyond the limit”.

But amid fears that spending could be cut further, SPF leaders insisted the Scottish Government must give the police service “proper priority” for funding.

The call for a pay rise came as Deputy Chief Constable-designate Fiona Taylor said the budget means “hard choices” are already having to be made.

She spoke at a Scottish Police Authority meeting on Thursday where off-duty police staged a protest outside, as the SPF said its members are “working under significant stresses”.

SPF Chairman David Threadgold said he knows of one officer who should have had 60 days off in the first 30 weeks of this year – but had 24 of these days off disrupted and was instead required to work.

On those days when the officer was given 18 or more days’ notice that he would have to work, he did not get paid, Mr Threadgold said, resulting in his family spending £150 a day on childcare. He said the officer was only promised another day off “at some time in the future”.

Speaking about the situation overall, the SPF chairman added: “There is no doubt that we are being asked to do more with less and resources are stretched beyond the limit.”

Police are not permitted to strike, and with Mr Threadgold insisting the SPF does “not want the public to suffer” during the pay negotiation, he said he has told police to do their job “properly and not cut corners”.

But he said officers are being urged by the SPF not to work when off duty, as “time off is needed to recuperate”, and not to work when they are ill.

Mr Threadgold said: “We do not have the right to take industrial action but we do have the power of persuasion.

“All we are asking for is fair treatment in pay.

“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.”

SPF general-secretary David Kennedy pointed to pay rises awarded to other public sector workers, saying: “Over the last two years teachers and the fire brigade have had 12.35% rises and nurses and doctors 14.5%.

“Last year we got 5% 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.”

Police have seen pay decline by 16% since 2006 as a result of inflation, Mr Kennedy claimed, adding that a 10% special features payment given to officers had been eroded, while police are working “a 40-hour week, 10% more than the average”.

He said: “We could have made a massive claim like some workers did but we asked for 8.5%, which would give us the average of what was paid to these other groups. We think this fair and justifiable.”

Meanwhile, Ms Taylor, who is acting as chief constable until Jo Farrell takes up the post later this year, said the real-terms reduction in funding allocation to Police Scotland means it has “been required to reduce the number of police officers we have from 17,234 to around 16,600”.

She told members of the Scottish Police Authority: “Of necessity we will reduce police staff costs in proportion to the reduction in officer numbers, and we will reduce overtime spend.

“Hard choices are, therefore, being taken now to maintain effective policing within the funding available to us.

“Action is being taken to achieve savings and deliver a balanced budget for 2023-24.”

She added that as part of this “urgent action”, staff recruitment has been paused in certain areas, although she said: “Recruitment of probationary constables will continue and our commitment to no compulsory redundancy for police staff remains.”

She said Police Scotland “cannot ask fewer people to do more work”, and told how the force may need to do things differently.

Ms Taylor told the meeting: “The level of service we provide in some areas will reduce.

“My focus, senior leadership’s focus, and the focus of all of Police Scotland will be on keeping the public safe by prioritising and responding to those issues which present the greatest threat, harm and risk to people and communities.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said negotiations on police pay are continuing.

They added: “Police Scotland is a vital service, which is why, despite difficult financial circumstances due to UK Government austerity, we have increased police funding year-on-year since 2016-17, investing more than £11.6 billion since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013, and there are over 350 more officers than in 2007 and around 1,280 new recruits have joined Police Scotland in the last 18 months.

“Scotland also continues to have more police officers per capita than England and Wales.”