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| Theresa May approves radical overhaul of police pay and conditions | Theresa May approves radical overhaul of police pay and conditions |
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| The home secretary, Theresa May, has cleared the way for the first radical overhaul in police pay and conditions for 30 years by accepting plans that include a £4,000 cut in the pay of new constables to £19,000 a year. | The home secretary, Theresa May, has cleared the way for the first radical overhaul in police pay and conditions for 30 years by accepting plans that include a £4,000 cut in the pay of new constables to £19,000 a year. |
| The package, which was proposed after a major review of police pay and conditions by Tom Winsor, the former rail regulator, also includes the phasing out of automatic "competence-related threshold payments'' of £1,000 a year that have been criticised as "grab a grand" allowances. | The package, which was proposed after a major review of police pay and conditions by Tom Winsor, the former rail regulator, also includes the phasing out of automatic "competence-related threshold payments'' of £1,000 a year that have been criticised as "grab a grand" allowances. |
| But the home secretary has followed the recommendation of the police arbitration tribunal to delay a decision on the most controversial element of the Winsor package, which is the introduction of a system of making police officers compulsorily redundant for the first time. | But the home secretary has followed the recommendation of the police arbitration tribunal to delay a decision on the most controversial element of the Winsor package, which is the introduction of a system of making police officers compulsorily redundant for the first time. |
| The change was to be introduced from April giving discretion to chief constables struggling to make 23% cuts in police funding over three years. The home secretary has now given police staff associations and their employers until July to reach agreement on compulsory severance. | The change was to be introduced from April giving discretion to chief constables struggling to make 23% cuts in police funding over three years. The home secretary has now given police staff associations and their employers until July to reach agreement on compulsory severance. |
| At present the only officers who can be made redundant are those who have full pensionable service records under a process known as regulation A19. This has led to many experienced officers leaving the force. The recruitment freeze has also meant that fewer young officers have joined, leading to a rise in the age profile of the police. | At present the only officers who can be made redundant are those who have full pensionable service records under a process known as regulation A19. This has led to many experienced officers leaving the force. The recruitment freeze has also meant that fewer young officers have joined, leading to a rise in the age profile of the police. |
| May said she was implementing the rest of the key elements of the package to "continue our programme to modernise police pay and conditions so that they are fair to both officers and the taxpayer. They include measures to retarget pay to reward contribution, increase local flexibility and make important structural changes to enable further reform." | May said she was implementing the rest of the key elements of the package to "continue our programme to modernise police pay and conditions so that they are fair to both officers and the taxpayer. They include measures to retarget pay to reward contribution, increase local flexibility and make important structural changes to enable further reform." |
| The reform of police pay and conditions is one of the most sensitive public sector pay issues facing the government with the police staff federations retaining a degree of political muscle no longer enjoyed by much of the rest of the trade union movement. Police officers also face a two-year pay freeze and increases in their pension contributions along with the rest of the public sector. | The reform of police pay and conditions is one of the most sensitive public sector pay issues facing the government with the police staff federations retaining a degree of political muscle no longer enjoyed by much of the rest of the trade union movement. Police officers also face a two-year pay freeze and increases in their pension contributions along with the rest of the public sector. |
| The package will also see the introduction of a new national "on-call allowance" of £15 a session for those who are sent out of their force area on "mutual aid" operations such as dealing with riots. | The package will also see the introduction of a new national "on-call allowance" of £15 a session for those who are sent out of their force area on "mutual aid" operations such as dealing with riots. |
| The tribunal did not go as far as the original Winsor proposals in its recommendations. It rejected the introduction of an interim "expertise and professional accreditation allowance" or the abolition of £1,200 "special priority payments". | The tribunal did not go as far as the original Winsor proposals in its recommendations. It rejected the introduction of an interim "expertise and professional accreditation allowance" or the abolition of £1,200 "special priority payments". |
| Instead, in a written ministerial statement on Tuesday, the home secretary said she remained committed to Winsor's objectives of modernising management practices and to developing the vital link between pay and professional skills. | Instead, in a written ministerial statement on Tuesday, the home secretary said she remained committed to Winsor's objectives of modernising management practices and to developing the vital link between pay and professional skills. |
| "Police officers and staff deserve to have pay and workforce arrangements that recognise the vital role they play in fighting crime and keeping the public safe," said May. | "Police officers and staff deserve to have pay and workforce arrangements that recognise the vital role they play in fighting crime and keeping the public safe," said May. |
| Chief constables and the Metropolitan police commissioner are to be given discretion to pay regional allowances, including a London weighting payment, up to a maximum, but this is not to be linked to performance as was originally envisaged. | Chief constables and the Metropolitan police commissioner are to be given discretion to pay regional allowances, including a London weighting payment, up to a maximum, but this is not to be linked to performance as was originally envisaged. |
| The home secretary stressed that in reaching her decision she recognised that the police did not have the right to strike and the particular frontline role and nature of the office of constable. | The home secretary stressed that in reaching her decision she recognised that the police did not have the right to strike and the particular frontline role and nature of the office of constable. |
| Steve Williams, the chair of the Police Federation, which represents rank and file constables, said that while it remained disappointed with some of the tribunal's recommendations it accepted that the home secretary's decision was binding on them. | Steve Williams, the chair of the Police Federation, which represents rank and file constables, said that while it remained disappointed with some of the tribunal's recommendations it accepted that the home secretary's decision was binding on them. |
| He described the £4,000 reduction in starting salary to £19,000 as "ill-conceived" and criticised it as failing to recognise the dangers and demands inherent in the job and likely to increase the gender pay gap in the force. | He described the £4,000 reduction in starting salary to £19,000 as "ill-conceived" and criticised it as failing to recognise the dangers and demands inherent in the job and likely to increase the gender pay gap in the force. |
| The federation also said it continued to have severe reservations about the impact of introducing compulsory severance on the office of constable, particularly with the increasing politicisation of policing. | The federation also said it continued to have severe reservations about the impact of introducing compulsory severance on the office of constable, particularly with the increasing politicisation of policing. |
| Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said it was the wrong time to cut the pay of ordinary police officers. | Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said it was the wrong time to cut the pay of ordinary police officers. |
| "Morale in the police force is already at an all-time low and the landscape of policing is undergoing the most significant reform since Sir Robert Peel. If the home secretary wants her revolution in policing to be successful, she must carry the workforce with her," he said. | "Morale in the police force is already at an all-time low and the landscape of policing is undergoing the most significant reform since Sir Robert Peel. If the home secretary wants her revolution in policing to be successful, she must carry the workforce with her," he said. |
| Labour's police spokesman, David Hanson, said the £4,000 cut in starting pay could not be allowed to discourage the best quality candidates from coming forward. | Labour's police spokesman, David Hanson, said the £4,000 cut in starting pay could not be allowed to discourage the best quality candidates from coming forward. |
| "There is a real worry that the proposed starting salary for all police officers will damage the ability of police forces to recruit officers of the right skills and experience and directly contradicts the government's own wish to limit recruitment to those with three A-levels and recruit professional people from outside the police," he said. | "There is a real worry that the proposed starting salary for all police officers will damage the ability of police forces to recruit officers of the right skills and experience and directly contradicts the government's own wish to limit recruitment to those with three A-levels and recruit professional people from outside the police," he said. |
| "The other proposed changes will hit police morale further at a time when the Tory-led government are making cuts to the police force which go too far, too fast, with the loss of 15,000 police officers by 2015. I'm pleased there will be more discussion on the issue of severance packages and we will continue to discuss with police forces and staff in coming months what reforms are needed." | "The other proposed changes will hit police morale further at a time when the Tory-led government are making cuts to the police force which go too far, too fast, with the loss of 15,000 police officers by 2015. I'm pleased there will be more discussion on the issue of severance packages and we will continue to discuss with police forces and staff in coming months what reforms are needed." |
| The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said it was essential that the system of pay and conditions recognised the professional status of policing and moved towards a system where pay levels rewarded expertise and contribution. | The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said it was essential that the system of pay and conditions recognised the professional status of policing and moved towards a system where pay levels rewarded expertise and contribution. |
| "Acpo was concerned about the starting salaries range proposed and the outcome of these negotiations means that chief constables will now have the flexibility to pay a starting salary of up to £22,000 depending on skills and qualifications. Officers can also reach the top rate of pay three years earlier than under the current arrangements," said the chief constables' statement. | "Acpo was concerned about the starting salaries range proposed and the outcome of these negotiations means that chief constables will now have the flexibility to pay a starting salary of up to £22,000 depending on skills and qualifications. Officers can also reach the top rate of pay three years earlier than under the current arrangements," said the chief constables' statement. |
| "Police service funding has already been considerably reduced and further financial pressure lies ahead. Chief constables must have the means available to them to manage their workforce through these difficult times, even if that means taking steps that are unwelcome. The slow pace of progress through current pay machinery both hampers the ability to secure reform and prolongs uncertainty for officers and staff." | "Police service funding has already been considerably reduced and further financial pressure lies ahead. Chief constables must have the means available to them to manage their workforce through these difficult times, even if that means taking steps that are unwelcome. The slow pace of progress through current pay machinery both hampers the ability to secure reform and prolongs uncertainty for officers and staff." |
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