Police staff mull 1% pay offer
The three unions representing police staff — Unite, UNISON and GMB — are currently consulting with members in England and Wales over the employers’ offer of a 1% pay rise for 2014-15.
The unions are recommending that members reject the offer, with a view to moving to a formal industrial action ballot in support of the joint union claim for a 3% or £500 pay rise, whichever is the greater. The consultations will close in early September.
Police staff salaries have fallen by 13% in real terms since 2010, following two years of pay freezes and a below-inflation pay rise last year.
UNISON have also warned that morale is “at an all time low”, with a members’ survey indicating that government cuts to police budgets have had a damaging impact on service levels.
Of the 3,335 police staff surveyed — covering roles such as 999 call takers, police community support officers, detention officers, fingerprint experts and crime analysts — almost two-thirds (63%) reported that job cuts had hit morale.
A third of police staff reported being “very stressed”, with over two-thirds citing an increased workload as the main reason why they are stressed. Over a half — 55% — said they suffered from anxiety, and 47% suffered from insomnia.
UNISON is calling on the government and police leaders to review the gap between the rising demand for police services and the cutbacks to the police workforce.