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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Pay deal boost for Scots police | Pay deal boost for Scots police |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Scotland's 16,500 police officers may receive their agreed pay rise before their colleagues in England and Wales. | |
| The Scottish Government has confirmed that it will go ahead with the 2.5% rise, backdated to September. | The Scottish Government has confirmed that it will go ahead with the 2.5% rise, backdated to September. |
| Reports on Wednesday suggested the UK's home secretary was proposing that the pay award south of the border would only apply from December. | Reports on Wednesday suggested the UK's home secretary was proposing that the pay award south of the border would only apply from December. |
| Scotland's justice secretary said the government was "duty bound" to deliver the deal which had been reached. | Scotland's justice secretary said the government was "duty bound" to deliver the deal which had been reached. |
| Kenny MacAskill told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "All these monies have been accounted for and are within the budget. | Kenny MacAskill told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "All these monies have been accounted for and are within the budget. |
| The home secretary... understands the need to resolve this issue as soon as possible Home Office spokesman | |
| "It appears to us that if an award is made, if that it what arbitration feels our police officers are entitled to, it is duty bound upon a government who signed up for arbitration to deliver the outcome in the terms of the arbitrated deal." | "It appears to us that if an award is made, if that it what arbitration feels our police officers are entitled to, it is duty bound upon a government who signed up for arbitration to deliver the outcome in the terms of the arbitrated deal." |
| The Police Federation of England and Wales has claimed that it had seen a letter from the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith proposing that the 2.5% pay award should not be backdated to September. | The Police Federation of England and Wales has claimed that it had seen a letter from the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith proposing that the 2.5% pay award should not be backdated to September. |
| The organisation concluded that would make the rise worth 1.9% and would result in officers receiving a lower-than-inflation pay award. | The organisation concluded that would make the rise worth 1.9% and would result in officers receiving a lower-than-inflation pay award. |
| Mr MacAskill agreed with that estimate for what would be a nine-month settlement. | |
| However, he would not comment on what may be happening south of the border. | |
| Arbitration scheme | |
| "There are discussions ongoing between the Scottish Government and the UK Government," he said. | |
| "And it's for the UK Government to settle with their police officers and the Scottish Government to settle with our police officers. | |
| "All I'm saying is that we believe when you enter into an arbitration scheme, if it comes out with something then unless there's good reason you should implement it." | |
| It would be the first separate pay settlement for officers on different sides of the border. | |
| What it has done is restore a bit of trust and faith in the negotiating process here in Scotland that doesn't exist elsewhere in the UK Joe GrantScottish Police Federation | |
| A Home Office spokesman said: "We don't comment on leaked documents. | |
| "The home secretary is grateful for the findings from the Police Arbitration Tribunal and understands the need to resolve this issue as soon as possible. An announcement will be made shortly." | |
| Joe Grant, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, welcomed the Scottish Government's decision. | |
| He said it would not make a huge difference to the Scottish Government's efforts to increase officer retention. | |
| But he added: "What it has done is restore a bit of trust and faith in the negotiating process here in Scotland that doesn't exist elsewhere in the UK." | |
| He hoped the decision would help his colleagues in England and Wales in their efforts to have the same "sense of justice" applied south of the border. | |
| Earlier this year nurses in Scotland were granted their pay rise in full. | Earlier this year nurses in Scotland were granted their pay rise in full. |
| That too was ahead of colleagues south of the border, who received their pay rises in stages. | That too was ahead of colleagues south of the border, who received their pay rises in stages. |