UNISON, UNITE and GMB have submitted the following pay claim on behalf of police staff members in England and Wales, to take effect from 1 September 2019:
- One year claim
- 5% increase on all pay points
- 5% increase on standby allowance
- The deletion of pay points 7 & 8
- An additional two days on the minimum annual leave entitlement in the Police Staff Council Handbook, to provide 25 days annual leave on appointment and 30 days leave after 5 years service
- Support and encouragement from the Police Staff Council for police forces to sign up to the ‘Dying to Work’ Charter which provides for a compassionate approach to staff who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness
The claim was made at the Police Staff Council meeting on 5 April. The Police Staff Council is the negotiating body which decides the pay and conditions for police staff across England and Wales.
BACKGROUND TO THE CLAIM
The claim seeks to address the following issues:
- the fact that police staff pay rises over the last 10 years have been outstripped by the retail prices index (RPI) of inflation
- the need to ensure that the lowest police staff pay points stay ahead of the real living wage of £9.00/hour
- the aim of reducing the disparity between police staff annual leave entitlement in different forces
- a compassionate approach to police staff who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness
WHAT NEXT?
The trade unions will submit a full written claim in the next week. The police employers (National Police Chiefs Council, Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and the Home Office) will then consult on the claim and hopefully be in a position to respond so that negotiations can open as soon as possible. This is with a view to the pay award being agreed in time for it to be paid in a timely fashion from 1 September 2019.
Details of the full claim will be circulated very shortly.