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| Police call emergency pay summit | Police call emergency pay summit |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Hundreds of police officers are to hold an emergency meeting to discuss what action they can take in their pay row. | Hundreds of police officers are to hold an emergency meeting to discuss what action they can take in their pay row. |
| Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is facing mounting pressure over her decision not to backdate a 2.5% pay rise for police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. | Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is facing mounting pressure over her decision not to backdate a 2.5% pay rise for police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
| Some 78 MPs have signed a motion tabled by the home affairs select committee chair, Keith Vaz, urging a rethink. | Some 78 MPs have signed a motion tabled by the home affairs select committee chair, Keith Vaz, urging a rethink. |
| Police cannot strike, but leaders are attending a Police Federation crisis summit to discuss their next move. | Police cannot strike, but leaders are attending a Police Federation crisis summit to discuss their next move. |
| Senior Police Federation members have sought legal advice over possible industrial action. | Senior Police Federation members have sought legal advice over possible industrial action. |
| 'Very angry' | 'Very angry' |
| Ms Smith is determined that the current pay deal should fall within public sector inflation targets, but she did not believe most officers wanted the right to strike. | Ms Smith is determined that the current pay deal should fall within public sector inflation targets, but she did not believe most officers wanted the right to strike. |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown told MPs in the House of Commons the government had to ensure that pay settlements were affordable and consistent with wider pay policy. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown told MPs in the House of Commons the government had to ensure that pay settlements were affordable and consistent with wider pay policy. |
| As a serving Police Constable in Lancashire Constabulary, I could not and would not go on strike Ben, Lancashire Q&A: Police pay rowYour views: Police payPolice officers' views | As a serving Police Constable in Lancashire Constabulary, I could not and would not go on strike Ben, Lancashire Q&A: Police pay rowYour views: Police payPolice officers' views |
| "I would like more than anybody to be able to say to the police that we could pay their wages and their salary rise in full. | "I would like more than anybody to be able to say to the police that we could pay their wages and their salary rise in full. |
| "But I have to say to them that no policeman and no person would thank us if their pay rise was wiped out by inflation," he said. | "But I have to say to them that no policeman and no person would thank us if their pay rise was wiped out by inflation," he said. |
| He added that police pay had risen by 39% over the last 10 years and that Scotland had been able to backdate the pay rise to 1 September only by putting plans for 500 more officers on hold. | He added that police pay had risen by 39% over the last 10 years and that Scotland had been able to backdate the pay rise to 1 September only by putting plans for 500 more officers on hold. |
| Home Office Minister Tony McNulty earlier told BBC One's Breakfast the pay bill for the public sector was a "very significant" amount of money, but despite this, the police had been treated as a "special case". | Home Office Minister Tony McNulty earlier told BBC One's Breakfast the pay bill for the public sector was a "very significant" amount of money, but despite this, the police had been treated as a "special case". |
| "We have made sure that the police are in relative terms considerably better paid than others in the public sector." | "We have made sure that the police are in relative terms considerably better paid than others in the public sector." |
| PUBLIC SECTOR PAY Police constables currently start on £21,009Teachers' starting salary is £19,161 in England and Wales. In Scotland it is £23,316 New prison officers earn £18,483 in England and Wales. In Scotland they receive £14,373Lower grade civil servants, such as administration assistants, begin on between £11,750 and £14,083 depending on departmentFirefighters start on £27,185, but pay does not increase with experience Source: Unison 2006 figures, Fire Brigades Union | PUBLIC SECTOR PAY Police constables currently start on £21,009Teachers' starting salary is £19,161 in England and Wales. In Scotland it is £23,316 New prison officers earn £18,483 in England and Wales. In Scotland they receive £14,373Lower grade civil servants, such as administration assistants, begin on between £11,750 and £14,083 depending on departmentFirefighters start on £27,185, but pay does not increase with experience Source: Unison 2006 figures, Fire Brigades Union |
| But Jan Berry, chairwoman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said its members would stand firm in their battle to have their pay rise backdated to September, like their colleagues in Scotland. | But Jan Berry, chairwoman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said its members would stand firm in their battle to have their pay rise backdated to September, like their colleagues in Scotland. |
| She told the BBC that officers were "very angry" and "fed up of being treated in this way" and that some members wanted to "renegotiate the law and seek the right to strike". | She told the BBC that officers were "very angry" and "fed up of being treated in this way" and that some members wanted to "renegotiate the law and seek the right to strike". |
| The federation was also seeking the right to judicial review of the home secretary's decision, she said. | The federation was also seeking the right to judicial review of the home secretary's decision, she said. |
| As Ms Berry arrived at the Police Federation meeting later, she said: "The police officers feel betrayed, their trust and confidence has been shattered. | As Ms Berry arrived at the Police Federation meeting later, she said: "The police officers feel betrayed, their trust and confidence has been shattered. |
| "It is disgraceful behaviour by the home secretary, we don't understand it and her excuses just don't hold water." | "It is disgraceful behaviour by the home secretary, we don't understand it and her excuses just don't hold water." |
| The chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, Norrie Flowers, said the Scottish Executive had honoured its agreement to backdate the pay deal and that Ms Smith "should do the same". | The chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, Norrie Flowers, said the Scottish Executive had honoured its agreement to backdate the pay deal and that Ms Smith "should do the same". |
| Parliamentary motions | Parliamentary motions |
| The police's 2.5% pay deal was decided through the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal. | The police's 2.5% pay deal was decided through the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal. |
| While officers in Scotland are having their 2.5% pay rise backdated to 1 September, as the tribunal recommended, those in other areas will receive it in full only from December. This, officers say, will amount in real terms - due to inflation - to an increase of 1.9%. | While officers in Scotland are having their 2.5% pay rise backdated to 1 September, as the tribunal recommended, those in other areas will receive it in full only from December. This, officers say, will amount in real terms - due to inflation - to an increase of 1.9%. |
| The consumer prices index puts inflation at 2.1%, while the retail prices index, on which many pay deals are based, has risen to 4.2%. | The consumer prices index puts inflation at 2.1%, while the retail prices index, on which many pay deals are based, has risen to 4.2%. |
class="data203">POLICE PAY ROWclass="data203">Earnings lost if 2.5% rise not backdated to September 2007Rank Salary Loss PC (entry level) £21,009 £131 PC (after training) £24,813 £155 Sergeant £32,985 £206 Inspector £42,264 £264 | |
| The pay increase will see all police constables paid a minimum of £21,500, with those with the longest service receiving £33,800. | The pay increase will see all police constables paid a minimum of £21,500, with those with the longest service receiving £33,800. |
| A total of 78 MPs have now signed Labour MP Keith Vaz's Parliamentary motion urging the government to backdate the pay award to 1 September. | A total of 78 MPs have now signed Labour MP Keith Vaz's Parliamentary motion urging the government to backdate the pay award to 1 September. |
| More have signed similar motions put forward by Labour MPs John McDonnell and Lindsay Hoyle. | More have signed similar motions put forward by Labour MPs John McDonnell and Lindsay Hoyle. |
| Mr Vaz told the BBC it was important the government "gave the award in full" and that it amounted to a small amount of money "in the scheme of things". | Mr Vaz told the BBC it was important the government "gave the award in full" and that it amounted to a small amount of money "in the scheme of things". |
| "There is no real reason why they should not be paid this award on the date that was agreed," he said. | "There is no real reason why they should not be paid this award on the date that was agreed," he said. |
| 'No ordinary rights' | 'No ordinary rights' |
| Officers from each of the 43 forces in England and Wales are attending Wednesday's Police Federation crisis summit in London. | Officers from each of the 43 forces in England and Wales are attending Wednesday's Police Federation crisis summit in London. |
| They will be joined by representatives from all the police staff associations, including the Police Superintendents' Association and the Association of Chief Police Officers. | They will be joined by representatives from all the police staff associations, including the Police Superintendents' Association and the Association of Chief Police Officers. |
| We've got to have some means by which we can register our disapproval and have the same type of employment protection that other employees have Clive Chamberlain, Dorset Police Federation chairman The meeting is likely to lead to a ballot of Police Federation members. | We've got to have some means by which we can register our disapproval and have the same type of employment protection that other employees have Clive Chamberlain, Dorset Police Federation chairman The meeting is likely to lead to a ballot of Police Federation members. |
| They will be asked if they want to behave more like a trade union, or press for an independent pay review body whose decisions are binding on both sides. | They will be asked if they want to behave more like a trade union, or press for an independent pay review body whose decisions are binding on both sides. |
| An act of Parliament bans police officers from taking strike action because of the critical role they hold in society. | An act of Parliament bans police officers from taking strike action because of the critical role they hold in society. |
| Ken Jones, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: "I feel we are not giving sufficient weight to the fact that cops don't enjoy the ordinary rights of other workers in terms of industrial action." | Ken Jones, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: "I feel we are not giving sufficient weight to the fact that cops don't enjoy the ordinary rights of other workers in terms of industrial action." |
| The chairman of the Dorset Police Federation, Clive Chamberlain, added: "We've got to have some means by which we can register our disapproval and have the same type of employment protection that other employees have. We don't have that." | The chairman of the Dorset Police Federation, Clive Chamberlain, added: "We've got to have some means by which we can register our disapproval and have the same type of employment protection that other employees have. We don't have that." |