Police officers in Scotland are to receive an immediate 6.5% pay increase in recognition of the essential work they do in keeping people safe.
The award will be backdated to 1 September 2018 and applies until 31 March 2021.
The pay award, part of a strategic investment in policing, will see all officers below the rank of Assistant Chief Constable receive an immediate and substantial increase in their salary. The deal will represent an additional £125 million in officer wages over the period and is consistent with efforts to bring the police budget back into financial balance.
The award will see a salary increase of £2,300 for a mid-point Constable and the equivalent of an additional £6,000 in pay over the next 31 months.
In addition to an immediate pay award, the agreement will also address issues of inequality and anomalies in relation to pay progression. It also contains a commitment to resolve working practices in relation to court and night shift, and offers financial stability and certainty over the period.
The agreement follows constructive dialogue through the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) with the Staff Side which is made up of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS), Scottish Police Federation (SPF) and the Scottish Chief Police Officers Staff Association (SCPOSA). The Official Side of the PNB includes the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Funding to underpin this multi-year investment in the police workforce has been developed in partnership between the SPA, Police Scotland and Scottish Government during the negotiations, and the final agreement reached is affordable within the anticipated financial settlements now expected between central government and policing over the 31 month period covered by the award.
Welcoming the agreement, Susan Deacon, Chair of the Scottish Police Authority said, “I am pleased that through constructive dialogue we have reached agreement on an investment in pay that recognises the significant and valuable work that our police officers do in keeping the people of Scotland safe.
“Police officers represent a substantial portion of the police workforce and budget. This deal over a 31-month period provides both individuals and policing with certainty as we plan and implement the further transformation of policing to meet the needs of a changing Scotland.
“I am also mindful of the importance of the work which is underway with the Trade Unions to modernise pay, reward and conditions of all police staff. I am delighted that positive progress is also being made in this area.”
Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said, “The pay award represents a significant and deserved outcome for police officers.
“I’m also pleased that progress is being made in negotiations on harmonising pay and reward for police staff.
“Every single day, our hard-working officers and staff are keeping people safe and demonstrating the highest levels of leadership and public service.
“They’ve done this consistently since the creation of Police Scotland, clearly showing that they are our most valued asset, so it’s only right that their dedication and commitment is recognised appropriately.”
Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Humza Yousaf said, “This strong deal for Scotland’s police officers is an important recognition of the vital work they do to support safer, stronger communities. It also reflects the positive relations between police officers and employers in Scotland where we have retained collective pay bargaining. The Scottish Government has worked closely with the SPA and Police Scotland to finalise this two-and-a-half year deal which puts more cash into officers’ pockets while giving them and their families’ certainty.
“The progress made towards securing a milestone agreement on police staff pay and reward harmonisation is also very welcome. I am grateful to all those involved in the negotiations, as well as the commitment of all police staff and officers who are working to ensure Scotland’s police service is amongst the best in the world.”
The full details of the agreement are detailed in a PNB Circular which will be published by the Scottish Government in the coming days.
A pay award for Police Staff was agreed in April 2018 covering the period from September 2017 – March 2019. Positive progress is being made to reach agreement with the Trade Unions on a package aimed at harmonising pay, and terms and conditions, for police staff.
The SPA and Police Scotland approved a 3-year financial plan in May 2018 and remain committed, and on-track, to achieving financial balance by the beginning financial year 2020-21.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
