Police Pay Update - November 2023
Colleagues
Please see below an update on Police officer pay.
Current position.
Unfortunately, the position as outlined on the 21st September 2023 is unchanged. In a recent meeting with Department of Justice (DOJ) officials the affordability of the pay award appears to be the overriding consideration for the DOJ Permanent Secretary. We have made representations to the DOJ in relation to this and have again requested the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) report is shared with us. To date, this request has been declined.
We have been in contact with the PRRB to express our frustrations with the ongoing delays to the PSNI pay process. PRRB have assured us that they value the submission of our written evidence and our evidence made many important points. They reaffirmed their request that PFNI continue to provide written and oral evidence to PRRB.
We have communicated to them that it appears to us that the overriding consideration for DOJ is one of affordability with PSNI being told that they must balance their deficit budget. This regrettably will make any pay award unlikely unless HM Treasury provide a financial intervention.
In the next couple of months PRRB will be asking PFNI to prepare next year’s report when, yet again, we have not had sight of this year’s report.
In our meeting with the interim (now permanent) Chief Constable on Friday 20th October we expressed to him the importance of delivering the pay award. We outlined the many challenges officers face with the ongoing terrorist threat, the unprecedented data breach, no recruitment into the service, shrinking resources leading to increased demand on officers and the everyday challenges of policing in Northern Ireland. The Chief Constable assured us he understands the importance of the pay award and is aware of the frustrations of officers with pay award delays year after year.
The three major challenges for the new Chief Constable will be recruitment, remuneration and retention. Remuneration and recruitment would require a significant uplift and one that will require additional finances. If PSNI do not receive a pay award due to affordability, we will become the worst paid police service in the UK.
Pay parity with colleagues in England and Wales is of paramount importance and one we must maintain. We are in consultation with the Police Federation of England and Wales as they continue with their pay campaign. The absence of the Executive and the PSNI’s significant deficit budget provide a challenging environment however we continue to raise this matter with all stakeholders to minimise any further delays.
Incremental pay
We have recently seen some progress in relation to the payment of increments. Increments that were due in September and October will now be paid this month. Unfortunately, DOJ are unable to confirm that similar delays will not occur post September 2024. As a result, we have not withdrawn our judicial review as we wish to ensure this matter is addressed and future proofed, with Police officers’ rights to annual increments acknowledged.
