POLICE officers in Essex might only get a 1.3% pay rise if the Home Office confirms it is to set aside \u00a370m for police salaries in 2019\/20.<\/p>\n
The figure, which would pre-judge any pay proposal put forward by the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB), speaks volumes of the disdain the Government has for the independent body, according to Essex Police Federation.<\/p>\n
Chairman Steve Taylor says policing must try and retain faith in the system but says officers\u2019 pay packets are continuing to wither.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cOur members want and deserve more equitable pay, and as their staff association it\u2019s our job to lobby for that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also speaks of the disdain and disregard that this Government has for the PRRB, which is grossly unfair. The current system was brought in to replace a system that held the Government more to account, and the Government do not, in good faith, enter that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can make the best submissions that we possibly can but as we\u2019ve seen on two previous occasions, the Home Secretaries appear to do what they want to do anyway.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow often are the PRRB going to be dismissed by this Government before they take action? What action can they take as an independent body?<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a Federation, we can take our stance and we can make our feelings known. We can lobby our local MP and they will agree that officers do deserve more, but [they will say] public funds are in such a state that that\u2019s not readily available.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the line that they\u2019ve been trotting out ever since we\u2019ve been in these austere times. So, expecting anything to change there might be na\u00efve on our part.\u201d<\/p>\n
The PFEW has launched a judicial review into how last year\u2019s pay review was handled by the Home Office, something which Essex Police Federation is hopeful might bring about a change in behaviour.<\/p>\n
Steve added: \u201cWe look towards the judicial review that the PFEW is bringing against the Home Secretary and how they\u2019ve dealt with previous pay reviews.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgainst that backdrop, we\u2019re hopeful that that\u2019s going to elicit a change of behaviour. But we hear these anecdotal rumours that they\u2019re going to cap it at \u00a370m, cap it to 1.3% increase.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile I\u2019m not surprised, I\u2019m bitterly disappointed that yet again there\u2019s a significant lack of good faith from the Government when we enter into these pay review body descriptions.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"