Chairman of the Police Federation for England & Wales Responds to News of Pay Deal Decision
Thursday, 06 December, 2007
Following the official announcement this afternoon (7/12/07) by the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith that she will ratify the decision of the Police Arbitration Tribunal, but with effect from 1st December and not 1st September, giving an increase of just 1.9%, Jan Berry, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, says:
"Despite an eleventh hour appeal to the Home Secretary to change her mind on this, she has today confirmed to the 140,000 officers in England and Wales exactly what the government thinks of them.
"The way my colleagues are being treated is absolutely disgusting. Compare this to our colleagues in Scotland who have been informed they will receive the full 2.5% backdated to 1st September. We are very pleased for them; unlike the Home Office the Scottish administration has acted with honour and demonstrated they understand the difficulties of modern policing and the restrictions on officers' lives.
"We are not going to take this lying down. If the government want a fight, they have got a fight. We are actively pursuing a legal challenge and have requested an urgent meeting with the Home Secretary who must be held to account for her scandalous decision."
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