Forum Topic

Police Pay

So! Gordo believes that the pittance offered (and recommended by an independent review) to our police officers given in one stage would be inflationary. What a bloody insult to them, when we have all witnessed the breathtaking greed of MP's who whine and whinge that THEY need another increase, not only in their salaries but pensions and jolly ups that they are all fond of. When we, the plebs complain, we are told "it wasn't us, it was as a result of an independent review"! Meanwhile our two specimens are keeping "shtum". Expect a further winter of discontent. If I was an armed police officer I would hand in my weapon, with the additional remark "stuff you, I'm not prepared to put my life on the line if that's all the value you put on it. The same applies to our troops who, as in the two world wars, were used as cannon fodder and paid peanuts in the process! Ah well that's NEW LABOUR (whatever that means!)for you. I now await to see Gordo go off to Portugal to sign yet more of our rights away.

Andrew Michael John Atkinson ● 6436d11 Comments

What about our troops in the war zones I think they could do with a hefty pay rise as well, and the list for them killed in active service is far too long. I do agree that the police should have the money, the quarrel is with the powers that be letting the Scottish police have their pay rise back dated to last September.

Mick OBrien ● 6435d

I don't think me or anyone else is disputing that, however, how does money compensate for this? A lot of people have either lost their jobs or had very small pay increases in the public sector, the point is should the Police be an exception? I think there are difficult choices to be made.

Vanessa Smith ● 6435d

How about a word of comfort for these officers families. When you go to work Vanessa does your family worry that you may not come back? Remember PC Blakelock, brutally stabbed and hacked to death. WPC Yvonne Fletcher shot in the back, PC Patrick Dunne stabbed to death when investigating a domestic incident! "Yes it's a stressful job and dangerous but they know that when they join".I don't think Mrs Blakelock would have expected to hear how her husband had died while on duty Vanessa. Just as a reminder here are a few more who have given their lives for us.POLICE OFFICERS KILLED ON DUTY1952 Sidney George Miles Constable, Metropolitan Police1956 Reginald William Tipple Temporary Sergeant, Metropolitan Police1956 Leonard Alfred Demmon Temporary Sergeant, Metropolitan Police1957 Cornelius Carson Superintendent, Metropolitan Police1958 Raymond Henry Summers Constable, Metropolitan Police1959 Raymond William Purdy Detective Sergeant, Metropolitan Police1960 Edward Roy Dorney Constable, Metropolitan Police1960 Leslie Edwin Vincent Meehan Constable, Metropolitan Police1961 Frederick George Hutchins Sergeant, Metropolitan Police1961 Philip Pawsey Inspector, Metropolitan Police1966 Geoffrey Roger Fox Constable, Metropolitan Police1966 Christopher Tippett Head Detective Sergeant, Metropolitan Police1966 David Stanley Bertram Wombwell Temporary Det/Constable, Metropolitan Police1967 Desmond Morgan Acreman Constable, Metropolitan Police1969 Michael John Davies Constable, Metropolitan Police1971 Douglas Frederick Beckerson Constable, Metropolitan Police1971 Alan Choules Temp/Det/Constable, Metropolitan Police1973 Michael Anthony Whiting Constable, Metropolitan Police1973 Stewart Will Sergeant, Metropolitan Police1975 Stephen Andrew Tibble Constable, Metropolitan Police1975 Captain Roger Philip Goad BEM Explosives Officer, Metropolitan Police1980 Francis Joseph O'Neill Constable, Metropolitan Police1981 Kenneth Robert Howorth Explosives Officer, Metropolitan Police1983 Stephen Paul Walker Constable, Metropolitan Police1983 Jane Philippa Arbuthnot Constable, Metropolitan Police1983 Noel Joseph Lane Sergeant, Metropolitan Police1983 Stephen John Dodd Inspector, Metropolitan Police1984 Stephen John Jones Constable, Metropolitan Police1984 Yvonne Joyce Fletcher Constable, Metropolitan Police1985 John William Fordham Detective Constable, Metropolitan Police1985 Keith Henry Blakelock Constable, Metropolitan Police1986 Martin Bickersteth Bell Constable, Metropolitan Police1987 Ronan Konrad A. McCloskey Constable, Metropolitan Police1990 Laurence Peter Brown Constable, Metropolitan Police1991 Robert Chenery Gladwell Constable, Metropolitan Police1991 Alan Derek King Sergeant, Metropolitan Police1991 James Morrison Detective Constable, Metropolitan Police1993 Patrick Dunne Constable, Metropolitan Police1994 Derek John Carnie Robertson Sergeant, Metropolitan Police1995 Phillip John Walters Constable, Metropolitan Police1995 George Pickburn Hammond Constable, Metropolitan Police1997 Nina Alexandra Mackay Constable, Metropolitan Police1999 Kulwant Singh Sidhu Constable, Metropolitan Police

Account suspended ● 6436d

I think people are slightly missing the point here. The currrent dispute is not about pay as such. The actual issue is that there is an agreed arbitration procedure between police and government, which in the past has always been binding on both parties. Previous arbitration decisions have gone against the police and the police have had to accept the findings of the independent arbitration panel. On this occasion, the arbitration panel has made a decision which both parties should be bound by, and the government has reneged on the agreement by refusing to implement the arbitration panel's decision. This is why the police are so disgusted by Jackie Smith's and Gordon Brown's refusal to honour the agreement they had made. Seems rather typical of the Blair/Brown power freaks - rules are for everyone else - we'll do what we like!!

Mick Brent ● 6436d

My daughter is a civil servant who when she started in her job about 8 years ago started on a salary about £4000 a year less than me.  Now however, she earns approx £12,000 p.a. more than me.  It's true she has gone up a few grades and all salaries appear to rely on grades in the civil service but nevertheless, I wouldn't mind her salary or her likely pension entitlements or her annual holiday entitlements and odd extra days like the Queen's birthday etc., in exchange for mine.

Bernadette Paul ● 6436d

As a Civil Servant can I just say we might get annual pay rises but tend to earn a lot less than those in the private sector. Also several years ago one of our pay rises was given in two lots six months apart which effectively made it a hell of a lot less than it might have seemed. Contrary to popular opinion the public sector now works pretty much like the private sector in most things, we do not sit around all day drinking tea! The only Civil Servants who earn telephone numbers are to be found right at the top of the tree, and they're the charmers who have overseen massive job cuts, and also the twits that come up with some of the dafter policies for their political masters, ex-public schoolboys to a man who haven't a clue how the rest of us live in the real world. I have always felt that the Nurses come off worst where pay is concerned, and that seems to be a pretty dangerous and stressful job these days.

Vanessa Smith ● 6436d

I have probably made this point before but I will make it again anyway.  The police like all other government employees be it local or national appear to expect and get pay rises  annually.  These rises whether large or small are paid for by US, the tax paying public.  I and millions of others do not work for the government and have no such right or expectation of an annual salary increase.  I personally work somewhere where the staff went nearly 6 years without a pay rise.  Our senior partner has just sold the practice and we have been issued with new contracts which have already stitched everyone up as they state that salary reviews will be held in October.  Considering they used to be in January, if at all, and the practice only having been sold in October when of course there was no review, we will all have to wait until next October (2008) for any review.  Review does not guarantee increase.  In the meantime as has happened many times before, council tax, fares, food, utilities,  mortgages/rents, etc., etc., will increase and have to be paid for out of an effectively shrinking salary.  Do I have sympathy for the police?  Absolutely not.  Whatever increase they get will have to be paid for by me and frankly I can't afford it.

Bernadette Paul ● 6436d

There are supposed to be thousands more Police officers,thanks to Blair.Well,where are they all?

Keith Iddon ● 6436d

I recall reading in The Times newspaper a year or two back, that the cost of a Policeman on duty was £180 per hour!!That  calculation took into account the costs of recruitment, training, clothing, sick pay, shift pay, pay and allowances, holidays, sports facilities  and pensions etc over the relatively short span of working years.One has often heard that when the Government injects another £100Million into the Police Service..a large amount disappears into a big black hole in pay, overtime, shift pay, sick pay, EXPENSES(!) and pensions.National Police pay scales take into account, rank, extra responsibilities, higher grading etc. What the present dispute is about, as I understand it, is increasing all the pay rates..keeping the differentials intact.  My impression over the years is that Police have a good pay package.

Jim Lawes ● 6436d

I think they're pretty well paid, now they know how everyone else in the Public Sector feels, by and large they've always done very well, I don't remember much sympathy for strikers when they were earning ludicrous amounts of overtime during the miner's strike, people who let us not forget were fighting for their industry's very existence. Yes it's a stressful job and dangerous but they know that when they join.

Vanessa Smith ● 6436d

Andrew,I don't think the Police are under paid as it is and I'll wager many feel the same.They are under represented on the streets,again something many would agree with imo.

Keith Iddon ● 6436d