Police in England and Wales join the demand for hike in wages, ask for minimum 17% pay rise

Police join the wave of public sector workers demanding pay rise as they ask for a minimum hike in salaries by 17 percent

The Police in England and Wales are joining the wave of public sector workers who are demanding a hike in salaries after a call has been made for a minimum raise of 17 percent.  

The statement for raising the wages was made by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), according to Mail Online.

PFEW stated that “the increase was necessary because officers’ pay had declined in real terms”.

The Federation also added, that “the move would reflect that police officers are barred from taking industrial action”.  

This fall in wages was suggested by research which has been published by Social Market Foundation, a think-tank, that stated: “officers’ pay had fallen in real terms by 17 percent since 2000”.  

“The Government can no longer sit by and ignore our members’ basic needs and must recognise the impact of this independent research”, said Steve Hartshorn, chairman of the PFEW.  

He added, “In the context of ongoing inflation, indications of a police retention crisis, and reports of officers being forced to turn to food banks, the issue of police pay must be addressed now after more than a decade of being ignored”. 

Discussing about the 139,000 officers that PFEW represents, Hartshorn stated that “Police officers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and that begins with better pay, they must be compensated fairly for doing a job that is so important and unique that they do not have access to industrial right”. 

Hartshorn said, “Police officers put their lives on the line every day to serve and protect their communities, that is why our national council has taken the decision to call for a minimum of 17 per cent increase in pay for our officers”.  

He continued, “Officers’ annual pay rises are decided by the independent Police Remuneration Review Body”.  

The present salaries for constables in England and Wales start from £28,101 (€31,567) a year and they can get a hike to a basic income of £43,032, (€48,339), based on the level of experience.  

Where as a Sergeants’ salaries can range from £45,867 (€51,524) to £48,129 (€54,065). On the other hand, inspectors and chief inspectors earn from £54,600 (€61,334) and £63,627 (€71,474).

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