Date: 18/01/21

Home Secretary Correspondence with Police Pay Review Body

The Home Secretary Priti Patel has written to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) to inform of a delay to the 21/22 pay round, in light of the government's Spending Review, anticipated to be a broadly applied public sector pay freeze.

This is the first stage in the pay review process where the government sets the remit to the review body, which will see evidence and representation from both employer (the NPCC) and staff representatives (the joint unions).

In the letter the HS indicates she will not be seeking a pay uplift for police officer roles, but will be refering to the PRRB on:

• For those earning the full time equivalent of gross earnings of less than £24,000, the Government proposes to continue pay uplifts at a value of £250 or the National Living Wage increase, whichever is higher. I look to the PRRB to provide recommendations on the implementation of this uplift and the number of officers it will apply to, taking into account the guidance provided in Annex A of this letter.
• To consider and make recommendations on the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) proposals to introduce a ‘pay progression standard’ and the timetable for implementation.
• In your last report, you provided thoughtful observations on the proposals submitted by the NPCC on benchmarking of police officer pay and valuation of the ‘P factor’. I expect the NPCC to update you on the work undertaken to reach consensus with all parties on the methodologies used to benchmark the pay of all ranks and to value the ‘P-factor’ and I would be grateful for your updated commentary.

Date: 18/12/2020

GMB seeks parity for police staff members with police officers regarding  maternity and adoption

The Police Staff Council Trade Union Side has submitted a claim for parity for police staff with the new police officer maternity and adoption pay regulations, which will see maternity pay and adoption pay for qualifying officers increased from 18 weeks to 26 weeks at full pay.

A copy of the NPCC Guidance to the revised police officer regulations for paid maternity and adoption leave can be found here.

We expect to have a response to the claim for parity early next week.

Date: 21/10/2020

Home Office respond to GMB's concerns on chronic underfunding 

GMB has recieved a response from the Home Office on baseline police funding, and the government's failure to properly fund this vital public service.

You can read the full letter here, but the headlines are as follows:

[The Minister for Crime & Policing] would like to commend the brilliant individuals supporting forces to carry out their role in keeping our communities across the country safe.

 

To back our sentiments, this year the government set out the largest police funding settlement in a decade which saw a total funding package of up to £15.2 billion in 2020/21, an increase of up to £1.1 billion compared to 2019/20.

 

This includes £750 million funding to enable the recruitment of 6,000 officers in year one of the three-year Police Uplift Programme and the associated costs surrounding this uplift,

including the critical supporting staff.

Karen Leonard, GMB National Officer for Police Staff said:

It's all very well to thank our police staff but thanks won't protect jobs, pay the bills or protect the public. 

The increases in funding have to be seen in a context of a commitment to 20,000 new police officers, but with no corresponding commitment to police staff, and following a decade of underfunding, neglect, and staffing cuts to the service.

We are concerned cuts to frontline jobs are on the way if additional funding is not forthcoming.

A press release from GMB will be posted here on Monday.

Date: 20/10/2020

GMB Police Staff Members vote to accept pay offer

Date: 18/09/2020

Police Staff funding must be protected to figh rising violent crime, GMB tells Home Secretary

23,500 police staff jobs have been lost in England and Wales under Conservative since 2010, GMB Union analysis shows 

Funding for police staff in the UK must be protected to combat the rising tide of violent crime, GMB has told the Home Secretary today. 

In a letter to Priti Patel, the union says crime scene investigators, PCSO, 999 call takers and dispatchers, custody officers, counter terrorism specialists and regional organised crime units must be protected during the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) 

Since 2010, 23,500 police staff jobs have been cut under successive Conservative-led Governments. ^[1]

Meanwhile the latest crime figures show a large rise in violence against the person and stalking and harassment. ^[2] 

Karen Leonard, GMB National Officer, said: 

“Police staff, including PCSOs, are often the backbone of neighbourhood policing – their funding must be protected. 

“Any cuts will mean less uniforms on the street as they fight to tackle the still rising tide of serious and violent crime. 

“Cut police staff numbers, and history shows that police officers, whom the public expect to be out on the beat tackling crime, will end up doing essential police staff jobs back at the station instead.  

“Any funding for new police and police staff must be in addition to a flat, real terms, CSR settlement  to protect existing police staff jobs.” 

References:

[1] Shock figures reveal 23,500 police staff cuts under Tories 

[2] March 2020 Crime in England & Wales Stats from the Office of National Statistics

GMB wrote to the Home Secretary on 11th September 2020, outlining our concerns and issuing a stark warning against a return to the failed policies of autsterity, attempting to start a constructive dialogue. In the event we recieve a reply to that, it will be posted here for members to read.

Date: 03/08/2020

Trade Unions Seek Improvement of Pay Offer

On 22 July the Employers made the following offer for the 2020 police staff pay award:

• 2.5% increase on all pay points with effect from 1 September 2020
• 2.5% increase on standby allowance with effect from 1 September 2020
• Without prejudice talks on police staff apprenticeship pay

At a meeting on 30 July, following meetings of each of the union’s police committees to consider the offer, the Police Staff Trade Unions – UNISON, Unite and GMB – agreed to go back to the Employers to seek an improvement to the offer for low paid police staff.

HOW THE OFFER COMPARES TO OUR PAY CLAIM

The claim which the unions submitted back in May was for:

• A 6.5%, or £1,200, increase in police staff pay
• A 6.5% increase in standby allowance and away from home overnight allowance
• An additional day on the minimum annual leave entitlement in the Police Staff Council Handbook
• Police staff apprentices to be job evaluated and placed on the minimum pay point of the appropriate pay band

The £1,200 flat rate element of our claim was aimed at addressing the fact that the lowest pay point for police staff keeps being overtaken every year by the

real living wage. This shows just how low the entry point to the police staff pay scale is. The unions are determined to address this.

WHAT WE ARE SEEKING

The unions have gone back to the Employers to ask for the following improvements to the offer:

• A 2.5%, or £500, increase, whichever is the greater, on all pay points with effect from 1 September 2020. £500 is worth more than 2.5% for all staff earning under £20,000/year
• The deletion of the lowest pay point in the police staff pay scale to deal once and for all with the problem of this pay point being leap-frogged each year by the real living wage

The Employers say in their offer letter that ‘The Employers’ Side is committed to improving low pay within the Police Staff workforce’. But they fail to back this up with anything in the offer for the low paid. This is simply not acceptable, particularly as the Home Secretary agreed to delete the lowest pay point for police sergeants this year.

NEXT STEPS

The Trade Unions have asked the Employers for an urgent meeting to continue negotiations on the offer. We hope that this can take place in the first week in August, as we know that members are keen to get their pay award as soon as possible.

We will be back in touch with you as soon as possible once the next negotiating meeting has taken place. Each union will ballot members on the final offer.

Date: 14/07/2020

Yorkshire Police Jobs at Risk from Funding Hole

The PM's U-Turn on the pledge to reverse policing cuts has left over 1000 police jobs in Yorkshire at risk. Read the full GMB press release on that here:

Date: 21/05/2020

GMB Police Staff National Committee meet Sarah Jones MP, Shadow Minister for Policing & The Fire Service

GMB’s National Police Staff Committee were pleased to welcome Sarah Jones MP into her new role as Shadow Minister for Policing and the Fire Service today. 

Sarah was keen to understand the issues facing our Police Staff members, not just during Covid-19, but at all other times. Today, the GMB launched it’s Go Public campaign in the Police Service: ‘What our Police Need’.  5 Key Asks have been collated as a result of member responses to recent GMB Police Staff surveys. The asks are clear: 

1. More FUNDING for pay and services 

2. CELEBRATING the role of Police Staff 

3. Challenge the CULTURE and address stress and mental health 

4. Protect our members from VIOLENCE at work 

5. Challenge PRIVATISATION and outsourcing 

You can access the full campaign booklet here:

A positive discussion was held, where your national committee raised all the issues that matter to you including the 2020 Pay Claim, austerity and post Covid fears, exclusion from the Government’s Death in Service Covid Life Assurance Scheme, PPE and pensions.

Your committee members will now be working to get Sarah the further information she requested so that we can ensure your voice is heard loud and clear. We all look forward to working together on common issues moving forwards. 

Keep an eye out on the Noticeboard for Police Staff on the GMB Website for further updates, or follow and like our Facebook Page: GMB – The Union for Police Staff. 

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