Kent News - Kent's top cop slams Home Office over pay deal

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Kent's top cop slams Home Office over pay deal

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Michael Fuller, chief constable of Kent Police

Kent's most senior policeman has revealed that his officers felt the Home Secretary had “taken advantage” of them with a new pay deal.

In an interview with Kent on Sunday, Chief Constable Michael Fuller said that Jacqui Smith’s decision not to backdate their wage increase to September had left them “demoralised and de-motivated”.

An independent tribunal recommended that police be given a 2.5 per cent pay rise, but by backdating it to December 1 they will only receive a real-term increase of 1.9 per cent.

The move has led to a bitter war of words between the Government and the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers.

Mr Fuller is the most senior policeman in Britain to criticise the Government for not backdating the rise to September 1.

The chief constable revealed that during a meeting of the Police Federation in Kent on Thursday at least one officer said he would be prepared to go on strike “if push came to shove”.

“The officers felt that the Government was taking advantage of them in not honouring the agreement of the tribunal,” said Mr Fuller. “They felt they were taking advantage of them because they are denied that right [to strike].”

He said the Home Office had underestimated how “hurt and angry” officers were at the decision.

Mr Fuller seemed to suggest that police were being distracted by the row.

“The officers should be focusing on counter-terrorism and reducing crime and disorder on the streets,” he said.

“Now is not the time to be demoralising our staff. We are talking about staff who have not shirked their responsibilities.

“They have dealt with 15 murder inquiries, terrorism, drug crime, people trafficking and 12 [external] inspections this year.

“There is a risk there will be de-motivated officers, who have been working really hard to achieve government objectives.”

It emerged on Friday that police officers in Scotland would be getting a better pay deal than those south of the border after Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill decided to backdate to September their increases in full.

Mr Fuller said: “This exacerbates the unfairness of the Home Office decision.”

He revealed he has written to the Home Secretary asking her to reconsider her decision.

“I think she should be honest enough to accept she has made a mistake and do what the Scottish secretary has done and reverse her decision and honour the agreement so officers can move on and focus their efforts on battling with crime, rather than battling with the Government.”

Jan Berry, chairwoman of the Police Federation in England and Wales and a Kent chief inspector, said she had not seen so much anger among the rank and file for many years.

In previous pay disputes, it was generally accepted that agreed increases would be backdated to the date the rise was due.

For many of Kent’s 3,654 officers, the sum would only amount to a couple of hundred pounds, but Mr Fuller said that was not the issue at stake.

“There is an important principle of police – who are denied the right to strike – having a proper pay mechanism that is honoured by both sides,” he said.

“We cannot have a situation where just because they don’t like the arbitrator’s decision they don’t go along with it.”

Speaking to Kent on Sunday, Peter Harman, secretary of the Kent Police Federation, said: “Officers are angry with the contemptuous way that the Home Secretary has treated the police service.

“She has not played with a straight bat and the whole negotiating process has not been dealt with honourably.”

Ian Pointon, the chairman of the Kent Police Federation, called on the Home Secretary to resign.

The federation has warned that officers may demand the right to strike if they do not get independent binding arbitration.

Officers in parts of Europe have the legal right to strike, but Mr Fuller said he thought they could lose public support and sympathy if given that right in the UK.

Kent on Sunday approached the Home Office for a response to Mr Fuller’s comments.

A spokeswoman said the department had nothing further to add to a statement issued on Thursday by Ms Smith.

The Home Secretary said: “The Government is grateful for the vital and hard work which police officers carry out every day.

“We believe that effective pay arrangements for police officers are essential for a modern police service which delivers high standards of community safety and security to the public.

“I have very carefully considered the Police Arbitration Tribunal recommendations and am accepting their recommendation for a 2.5 per cent increase to the pay of police officers.

“However, I also have a responsibility to ensure pay settlements are affordable and consistent with Government pay policy, including the maintenance of low inflation. I have therefore decided that the award should be implemented on 1 December, rather than 1 September.”

It is not the first time that Mr Fuller has been outspoken in criticising the Government.

He told KoS: “I feel that staff who are loyal and dedicated have been treated unfairly.”

POSTED: 09/12/2007 14:00:00