The Police Federation of England and Wales has today called for a minimum 17% pay rise for police officers this year.
Federations have been pushing for fair pay for police officers and a report from the independent think tank, Social Market Foundation, offers compelling arguments that support our stance. As well as showing that police officer pay has declined by 17% in real terms since 2000 it advocates for the "P-factor" being a key consideration in pay discussions.
This is the description of an element of police pay that reflects the uniqueness of role of a police officer relative to other comparable roles. Our members are repeatedly exposed to trauma and the risk of physical harm and have significant restrictions on their private lives.
BTP has had pay parity with Home Office forces for almost 50 years and that was finally agreed, in part, because of the loss of younger officers. We're facing the same problems today. Some officers are leaving or considering leaving BTP, while others are leaving policing entirely, because they simply can't afford to remain in the role.
These are the stories we are sharing with the Rail Minister, British Transport Police and the Police Authority, as we highlight the detrimental impact continual real terms pay cuts are having on our members. We will encourage our members to share their experiences directly with their own MP shortly.
But this has to be about more than sending letters. We firmly believe the government is abusing the fact we don't have the right to industrial action. This can't continue.
We're listening to the conversations our members and others are having about working to regulations and holding a ballot on the right to strike and we need to understand the effects of this on our members. As we have seen elsewhere in the public sector, colleagues have personally borne short-term financial hardship in the hope of achieving longer-term gains.
If the current police pay trend continues, officer remuneration would drop by a further 4% in real terms by 2027. As we plan our next steps it's clear we need a collective effort, and all options must be considered.
Stuart Cowan, BTP Federation Chair