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Scottish officers to receive 5% pay rise and end 'goodwill withdrawal'
The Scottish Police Federation has written to officers informing them that an agreement has now been secured.
Scottish officers will now receive a 5 per cent pay rise on all pay points and appropriate allowances backdated to April 1 of this year.
It follows an ongoing dispute which saw the Federation rejecting a “derisory” offer of £565 (1.4 per cent) and officers subsequently withdrawing goodwill by refusing to stay late, start shifts early or take radio equipment home with them.
The SPF had given a deadline of August 5 for a revised offer, without which they said action would be escalated.
However, on that date, Staff Side Secretary, Calum Steele, wrote to officers saying that while “no such improved offer has been forthcoming [...] the Official Side will be in a position to return to the negotiating table in a serious and meaningful manner within a matter of days.”
An agreement has now been made on pay along with further proposed enhancements to annual leave, disruption to rest and flexibility for caring responsibilities. It comes in a move to create a shared strategic commitment which will look at both reducing the working week as well as the level of disruption to officers.
The proposed flexibilities, which have been welcomed by the Staff Side, include:
The Official Side has further committed to review working and management practices and demands on officers to ensure the re-rostering disrupted rest days in a timely manner.
They have also proposed a joint working group with the purposes of achieving the commitments.
However, the Staff Side has clarified in its letter to the Offical Side that the “strategic commitments and joint work have to be more than talking shops”.
It added: “Staff Side trusts that our dismay at negotiating against a pre-determined (and entirely self-imposed) financial envelope has been recognised as a barrier to free and fair collective bargaining. We have no desire to conduct future negotiations in such an artificial environment, and believe this has added needless tension into the PNB machinery.
“It would however be churlish not to recognise the efforts that were ultimately applied to get us to the point of an agreement.
“We all know the cost of living pressures will not be overcome by this agreement, but without that movement, they would have been unbearable for the overwhelming majority of police officers.”
Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone said: "Officers work tirelessly every day to keep people safe across the country and it is right that their commitment to public service is recognised and rewarded.
“I am pleased the Police Negotiating Board has reached agreement on this, particularly at a time when officers are concerned about the cost of living crisis and its impact on them and their families.”
The Federation has said that the police pay roadshows will continue and give officers a chance to meet Fed reps in person to have real time updates.
