UNISON will consult police staff members in England and Wales later this month on the employers’ offer of a 1% pay rise.
The pay consultation ballot will take place between 20 August and 9 September and will be organised by local branches
UNISON is recommending a vote to reject the offer and a move to a formal industrial action ballot in support of the joint union claim for a 3%, or £500, pay rise, whichever is the greater.
Police staff salaries have fallen by 13% in real terms since 2010, following two years of pay freeze and a below-inflation pay rise last year.
Rejecting the claim would not commit members to industrial action at this stage – any action would only follow a separate formal ballot.
But national officer Ben Priestley urged members: “It is really important that you vote in the ballot.
“We need to show the employers just how strongly our members feel about their pay and how badly you have been hit in the pocket in recent years.
“Now is the time to speak up!”