NARPO Supports Police Day of Action on Pay

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Tuesday, 22, Jan 2008 12:00

The National Association of Retired Police Officers has witnessed with dismay the failure of the Home Secretary to ratify in full the independent arbitration on pay awarded to current serving police officers. We totally understand police officers today will feel as angry and as let down as many NARPO colleagues, who were similarly treated with the imposition of an unjust pay award in the 1970’s. The police lost faith in the pay determining body at that time. Then as now, it led to significant unrest in the police and demands for the right to strike.

The solution in the 1970’s was a Royal Commission on the Police. The Police Negotiation Board was born directly out of the Royal Commission deliberations. It recognised the role of police in a democratic society and the limited action available to police officers in any dispute on pay.

The actions of the Home Office during recent pay negotiations, culminating in the failure of the Home Secretary to ratify the independent arbitration decision in full, has taken us back to those days of conflict between Government and the Police. Talk of a new pay review body, a long term pay deal or significant changes to the basic pay system will only further anger officers until trust in the pay negotiation process has been restored.

NARPO believes there is only one way to restore that trust and that is to pay the police their justified award in full and make arbitration awards binding on all parties, including the Home Secretary, in the future. Anything less is likely to lead to a prolonged dispute, which will do neither the police nor the Government any good in the long term.

NARPO continue to support our colleagues in the police service in their struggle for ‘fair pay’. Members of NARPO will join serving officers on the ‘Day of Action’ in London on 23.1.08.