Police federation starts legal action over 'derisory' pay award

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) said the government failed to act on policy pay recommendations, giving officers a two per cent increase instead of the recommended 3.4 per cent.

Richard Cooke, West Midlands Police officer and chair of West Midlands Police Federation, has criticised the government for ignoring the recommendations of the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) for the second year running.

He said: “The federation had now lodged an application to Judicial Review proceedings into the lawfulness of the Government’s decision. This is not just about the derisory pay rise given to officers but also about the whole independent pay review process.

“The PRRB is supposed to act as an independent organisation that considers the evidence submitted by various interested parties, including the Police Federation and Superintendents’ Association, and then makes a recommendation to ministers in terms of what it considers a fair pay award.

“The federation enters into this process in good faith, providing evidence to support its arguments but time and time again we are finding ourselves frustrated and increasingly angry that the Government is choosing to ignore PRRB, undermining the whole process.

“We cannot sit back and let this continue. We will stand up for our members and for what we believe is right.”

The federation has instructed solicitors to formally proceed with a Judicial Review against the Home Secretary on the basis that he has stated the pay decision was a government decision and not his alone.

John Apter, national federation chair, said: “Police officers must be treated fairly and have confidence that any independent pay recommendations will be accepted in full by the Home Secretary. I know the deep sense of anger felt by many of our members about the way they have been treated. This is why we have taken this action and make no apology for doing so. Doing nothing was simply not an option and it is right and proper that we legally challenge this unfairness.”

The Home Office said the rise will mean average pay for a police constable will now be more than £38,600 per year.

Home Secretary Savid Javid said the award represented the 'highest' consolidated pay award since 2010.

He said: "Our police officers do an incredible job in the face of complex crime and rising demand, and I’m grateful for their continued dedication to keeping us safe.

"I’ll continue to fight on behalf of police to ensure they have the resources they need to do their jobs effectively."

The federation believes this year’s pay awards actually amounts to a 0.85 increase as out of last year's two per cent rise, only one per cent was consolidated.