PAY & MORALE


MPs FACE Ché Donald


PFEW’s shocking survey results have attracted local media attention as we take pay campaign directly into constituencies


The negative impact of the Government’s attitude towards policing and police pay was clear from the results of the Police Federation of England and Wales’ (PFEW) Pay and Morale Survey. Following the survey’s February release, National Vice-Chair Ché Donald called for the Government to “reward officers fairly for the incredibly difficult and demanding job they do on behalf of society.” He commented after police officers voiced almost total dissatisfaction with the Government’s attitude towards the service. The survey revealed that more than 10 per cent regularly struggle to cover the cost of essential items. Of 29,587 officers who responded, 95 per cent said their treatment had a negative impact on their morale, while 93 per cent do not feel respected by Government. In a clear indictment of the state of police morale, 12 per cent of survey respondents said they intended to resign either within the next two years or as soon as possible. Eighty-two per cent of those who wanted to quit blamed poor morale and 77 per cent highlighted the treatment of police by Government. The devastating financial implications of the wage freeze, rising inflation and pandemic were exposed by the results, with twice as many respondents (14 per


cent) saying they were “never or almost never able” to cover monthly essentials, compared to the findings of a similar PFEW survey two years ago. Disenchantment with salary was clear, with a record 92 per cent of officers saying they were not fairly paid for the stresses and strain of their job, while 66 per cent claimed they were unfairly paid compared to other key workers. Worryingly for the service’s future


“The survey is a clear indictment of the state of police morale, with officers reaching breaking point”


capability and welfare, the survey recorded a year-on-year rise of 10 per cent in those who cited poor morale. Fifty-eight per cent of respondents said morale was low and 67 per cent revealed they would not recommend joining the service to others.


When asked about their treatment by the public, 84 per cent of respondents said this had a negative impact on morale, while 78 per cent said they did not feel the police were respected by the public. Mr Donald added: “Police officers have now reached breaking point. Having stepped up during the pandemic, faced rising levels of assaults, continually changing rules and legislation, the reward for their efforts was a zero per cent pay award. Police officers heard the warm words, they saw government ministers queuing up on television to give


thanks. Yet that was quickly forgotten the moment it came to recognising their efforts in their salary. “As the undisputed voice of policing, we say the Government needs to restore police officers trust in it. It needs to understand what police officers are telling them and recognise the need for a fair, open and transparent mechanism for determining pay. “Otherwise, the damage will see morale fall even further. It will see people leave police forces in droves and have a negative impact on the service’s capability for decades to come.” The Vice Chair’s comments were echoed


by branches across England and Wales. Hampshire Police Federation Chair Zoe


Wakefield added: “Changes need to be made to police pay, funding, recruitment and the constant negative rhetoric from the Government,” while James Dimmack, Dorset Police Federation Chair, said it was “a sad reflection of the state of policing”, adding that “goodwill is a precious commodity. However, it is not infinite.” Mark Jones, General Secretary of the North Wales Police Federation, concluded: “The sheer unfairness of being snubbed for a deserved pay rise, added to rising inflation, the effects of austerity cuts and the pandemic, plus of course the forthcoming impact of the National Insurance increase, will not be forgotten by our 130,000 plus members across England and Wales.”


31 | POLICE | APRIL 2022


SCRUTINY OVER STARK REALITY OF POLICE MORALE


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