PFNI says core pay spines must be maintained

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland has welcomed the decision by the Justice Minister to sign off on a 2.5% increase for officers and to backdate pay to last September.

In a statement, the PFNI says it is preparing for a new round of pay discussions with the independent Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) and says that it is determined to maintain core pay spines with colleagues in England and wales.

The PFNI statement said: “This pay increase should have come into force from the 1st September last year and it will come as some relief that it will finally appear in payslips at the end of the month.

“This is the third year in a row that agreed and approved pay increases have been delayed because of the absence of a Minister. We welcome confirmation that the increase will be backdated.

“We will shortly engage with the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) on a new round of pay discussions with a view to securing agreement by June. This 2.5% increase retains core pay spines with colleagues in England and Wales and we are determined to maintain that position once we enter formal discussions.”