UNISON and other police staff unions are calling for a 5% pay rise in England and Wales in the joint pay claim published today.
The claim, drawn up by UNISON, Unite and the GMB, also calls for the bottom two points in the pay scale (salary points seven and eight) to be abolished. This would lift the lowest pay among police staff from £17,262 a year to £18,078, on the current pay scale, or £18,982 if the 5% claim was met in full.
The unions point out that the bottom pay points “do not compare favourably with the lowest pay points in Police Scotland and in the NHS,” and warn that pay risks becoming more and more uncompetitive.
Across the board, the claim records that police staff pay has risen by 7.2% since 2011, while living costs measure by RPI inflation have increased by 23.5%.
UNISON national officer Ben Priestley said a 5% pay rise is necessary “in relation to the current RPI inflation rate of 2.4% and the necessary process of catching up with inflation over the last eight years”.
The key points of the one-year claim are:
- a 5% increase on all pay points;
- a 5% increase on standby allowance;
- the deletion of pay points seven and eight;
- an additional two days on the minimum annual leave entitlement, to provide 25 days annual leave on appointment and 30 days leave after five years;
- support and encouragement from the Police Staff Council for police forces to sign up to the TUC Dying to Work Charter, which provides for a compassionate approach to staff who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness.