A work-related post, this one. Oh dear. Shoot me.
There’s been plenty of debate these last few days regarding the latest police pay award. Many members of the public are voicing that the police are getting paid enough anyway and do not deserve a 2.5% let alone a 1.9% increase. Fair enough, I don’t think MP’s are worth consistently above-inflation pay rises either. We're all entitled to our views.
But a lot of people seem to be missing the point in this debate.
The issue that officers are so pissed about is not the award of 2.5% or 1.9% as such. It’s the fact that our pay award was due in October. The Home Office decided to drag out the pay negotiations until December, and then decided in its generosity not to back-date the pay-award to when it was due in October. Hence the 2.5% recommended by an independent pay tribunal, and initially agreed upon by the Home Officer, becomes 1.9%. Three months working for less that you were due. Any employee would be annoyed at that.
It’s the Home Office saying one thing, and doing something completely different.
I bet Jacqui Smith’s official Christmas letter, sent out to all police stations, will be on many a station dartboard.
As to whether we should strike, or have the right to? That’s a different debate entirely…
Thursday, December 13, 2007
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3 comments:
I agree with the police stance whole-heartedly - it's only right that you get what you are due when you are due. As you say what's interesting is the fact the average pay rise in the public sector this year was 3.5% (3.8% in the private sector)...
My work is in a similar position - the pay review which was due in July is still not sorted as negotiations are on-going with the Govt Dept responsible in a bid to reduce any rise to 2.2%, which is the arbitrary figure Gordon Brown has chosen for public sector pay increases this year so as not to p*ss everyone outside the public sector off. In addition the Govt announced last week that there is now no time to discuss it before Xmas, so it drags on...thsi wouldn't happen with the MPs salary reviews...
I don't think politicians should jerk around with people who provide nesessery services for the country. Like many of the them wouldn't have the balls to do the jobs anyway and so they should treat them properly and not take advantage because they can't strike or protest easily. Hope she doesn't personally need the services of the police as she's going to feel piss poor when they like turn up quickly to help her even though she's treating them badly with there late, below inflasion pay increase.
I have no idea how the police pay compares to firemen's pay, but you hear them complaining about it a whole lot more than the police. And yet, one seems to hear of more policemen injured than firemen.
Hmmmm.
As for backdating it, if that's when it was due, and that's how much they think you're worth, that's when you should get it from. End of story.
Do you have a Robocop around anywhere? I seem to think that the police went in strike in one of those films...
Having said that, I don't recall him ever sitting down and doing some serious paperwork.
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