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Press Releases - 2008

23 June 2008

Statement by PFNI on 2007 Pay Award - Judicial Review Outcome

Following a decision by Staff Side of the Police Negotiating Board (P.N.B.) not to appeal against the High Court judgment on police pay, the Police Federation for Northern Ireland via Staff Side P.N.B. is writing to every Member of Parliament seeking their support for independent binding arbitration. In the absence of binding arbitration the Police Federation will be left with no choice but to lobby for full industrial rights for the 9,000 police officers it represents throughout Northern Ireland.

The decision not to appeal was taken after legal advice and very careful consideration. It was decided that the fight for fair pay, binding arbitration and the pursuit of industrial rights is better served in parliament than the legal arena.

Staff Side are seeking an assurance that any negotiated settlement or arbiters' decision be implemented in full by the Home Secretary and that she will not simply impose a multi-year deal based on a flawed index or reduce an award by staging the settlement.

Terry Spence, Chairman of the Police Federation for NI, stated:- "We are disappointed in the outcome of the Judicial Review but we are determined to seek fair, transparent and binding arbitration on police officers pay negotiations. Failing this we will, with our UK colleagues, be seeking full industrial rights for our members."

Stevie McCann, Secretary of the Police Federation for NI, confirmed that Staff Side of the Police Negotiating Board have a proposed strategy of the way ahead to ensure maximum support from MP's to have binding arbitration and failing that full industrial rights. "Police officers have lost all faith in this Government to honour any negotiated pay agreement and they, the Government, must take steps to re-build that faith. Without binding arbitration or industrial rights we may as well just have the Home Secretary inform us of the figure for our pay award and save the time and effort of the P.N.B. mechanisms", commented Mr McCann.

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