POLICE officers should “not be in a position” where they are forced to “constantly fight and argue” for a fair pay settlement, the general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has said.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland’s programme, Calum Steele said police were “not even at the starting point” in terms of pay negotiations which saw the federation unanimously reject a 3.4% increase as “derisory”.
He added: “The fact that NHS dentists have been offered 4.5%, other NHS workers have been offered 5%, there’s a high probability that teachers are going to be balloted on industrial action, the fact we’re not even at that starting point is in itself a significant detriment to police officers.”
Police Scotland currently operates on officers providing “hundreds” of hours of goodwill every day, says Mr Steel.
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When asked what methods the federation would put in place to allow for a better end result, Steele refused to say what these would be, arguing it would be “foolhardy” for an organisation involved with an industrial dispute to “lay out to the other side what it is they intend to do”.
The organisation represents rank-and-file police officers in Scotland and warned earlier this week that action will escalate in its pay dispute if it does not receive a better offer by August 5.
Police officers cannot strike, but the 17 500 members of the SPF did withdraw “all goodwill” after a “derisory and insulting” pay offer of £565 which “must have been known to be so prior to being resented”.
It has meant since the start of this month, those officers have, among other things, refused to start shifts early or take-home radio equipment with them when their shift finishes.
The warning from the federation on Wednesday could mean that next month officers could go further in these actions.
Police pay is negotiated through the Police Negotiating Board, which includes police officer staff associations, the Scottish Police Authority, Police Scotland, and the Scottish Government.
Allowances would also rise by the same amount, the official side of the Police Negotiating Board said, and added in their letter to the staff side negotiators: “Since the original offer made in May was rejected by the staff side, our focus has remained on trying to reach an agreement within the PNB.
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“Consequently, significant efforts have been made to explore ways we might be able to make an improved and affordable offer that appropriately recognises the important and valuable contribution police officers play within society.
“This has been challenging in the current financial context but we understood the need to do more if we were to reach an agreement on pay and conditions for 2022.”
On Tuesday, officers south of the border were offered a 5% pay rise after the Home Office said it accepted recommendations from the independent police pay review body in full.
Mr Steele said the pay deal agreed by Home Secretary Priti Patel was “highly significant” in the ongoing dispute.
He said it was “notable that at every stage of their pay process, all key employer representatives, from the Home Office itself, through to chief constables, advocated for a higher award than the initial starting position of the Scottish official side of the Police Negotiating Board”.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We are monitoring the situation in relation to the withdrawal of goodwill. We will put arrangements in place to ensure any impact on the public is kept to an absolute minimum.
“We recognise the considerable goodwill officers bring to their roles on a daily basis as they keep people safe across the country, and this is also valued by the communities they serve.
“We therefore remain committed, through the Police Negotiating Board, to seeking a settlement.”
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