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Police pay

Comments

1. At 05:36 PM on 06 Dec 2007, John Marshall wrote:

   SHAME ON THE HOME SECRETARY! What a kick in the teeth for Police officers throughout England & Wales! Why is it that the Police Federation always have to fight for their Pay Award. Government Departments and Ministers preach about Fairness and Equality but ignore it when it suits them. Honour the Arbitration process and agreement reached. The Annual Pay award has always been effective from September. Don't be mean - pay up or resign Jacqui Smith!

   John Marshall
   Lincolnshire

2. At 05:55 PM on 06 Dec 2007, Diana Greene wrote:

   Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the item about the land girl Hilda and especially to thank you for giving her the length of time you did. Superb.

3. At 05:56 PM on 06 Dec 2007, wrote:

   Here we go again: they did exactly the same thing with the Nurses' pay settlement.

   This, and the pointless 6-month delay in implementing the recommendations for improving women's prisons, are shameless attempts to save money short-term by putting off much-needed investment in cinderella-services.

   This is NOT ON.

   Fifi

4. At 06:06 PM on 06 Dec 2007, Sheila Pantry wrote:

   Eddie
   What a wonderful, moving interview with Hilda Gibson!
   An absolute classic interview - Hilda was just so very lovely and she thought about others who gave their lives during WWII. Tell her many thanks.

   Really appreciate your programmes

   Sheila Pantry
   6.12.07

5. At 06:13 PM on 06 Dec 2007, Frances Murphy wrote:

   I would just like to say how much I thoroughly enjoyed Edie Mair's interview with Hilda ? this evening . I was moved to stop cooking tea to concentrate on the interview. She was stunning and I was grateful to Eddie Mair for allowing her the time to talk. It was a superb piece of radio. Thank you very much indeed.

6. At 06:23 PM on 06 Dec 2007, Caroline Magri wrote:

   I wholeheartedly support the Police's dissatisfaction with their pay deal.
   I have every sympathy because I and thousands of Notts County Council staff are having their pay cut as part of the National Job Evaluation Scheme.
   Whatever the merits or otherwise of this scheme, it has resulted in savage pay cuts for often low paid staff eg. admistration grade cut by £1.500 to just over £12,000.
   The Police spokesman referred to the inevitable reduction in moral; I can predict the effect this will have on the delivery of services to the people of Nottingshire.
   These NJE pay cut proposals are not affecting County Hall "fat cats" nationwide but hard-working, low to middle income staff who are now facing life-changing reductions in pay.
   Thank you to the ´óÏó´«Ã½ for covering these job evaluation pay cuts on other channels.

7. At 07:07 PM on 06 Dec 2007, Heather Swarbrick wrote:

   Eddie's interview with Hilda Gibson was radio at its very best! Whilst listening to her one was struck by the heroism of Hilda and all those like her. Of course they should be honoured! No wonder we prevailed in those dark days if Hilda was a typical example of their courage, honesty and intelligence. Fantastic journalism Eddie. You knew just what to ask and just when to listen. Thanks to the producer for including the whole thing too. Awesome!

8. At 07:47 PM on 06 Dec 2007, Jason Good wrote:

   I just wish they'd stop senior police officers retiring whilst facing disciplinary or corruption charges.

9. At 08:07 PM on 06 Dec 2007, Tracey Wyatt wrote:

   I would like to add to the comments about the interview with Hilda Gibson. Used to mentally tuning in and out of PM whilst on my drive home from work I was enthralled. A gem of radio broadcasting and I was greatly moved by her words and poem. Thank you.

10. At 08:38 PM on 06 Dec 2007, Gordon Etheridge wrote:

    As an Officer of 17 years of service I have always been reluctantly accepting about whatever the government of the day has thrown at us. Many of my colleagues have been the same, stoically getting on with a difficult and demanding job. This action by the Home Secretary over this pay negotiation has left me feeling betrayed by the government, and angry that I and my colleagues have been treated with complete disdain by it. For the first time in my career I would say 'yes' to the right to strike.

11. At 10:04 PM on 06 Dec 2007, David Jones wrote:

    As a serving officer my family and i have always accepted the negative accepts of the job because of my misguided sense of duty and civic purpose. Eleven years the constant battering from the media, certain members of the public and now the Home Secretary really leaves me with one question. Why bother? I don't want to strike and know most officers would agree. The police service works because officers make it work at great expense to themselves and families. Perhaps a period of "working to rule" would focus the Home Secretary's attention.

12. At 10:46 PM on 06 Dec 2007, wrote:

    I think that an annual pay rise is NOT a right, but inequity is unacceptable.

13. At 10:54 PM on 06 Dec 2007, Stewart M wrote:

    Scandalous but not unexpected. They did the same with nurses. What is annoying is that the police can't legally go an strike so the recommended pay rise should be legally binding from the traditionally agreed date.

    I've was informed of the imposed rise in NHS eye test fees in November. Back dated to April 2007. This will be announced to the payment agencies in December so I won't get the increment paid till January and possibly February. At least my small increment is back dated but the announcement is a little later every year. At the rate the Government are going my negotiating body (though negotiation is a VERY loose term here) will be negotiating for the next year before the current year's fee is agreed (imposed)

14. At 11:16 PM on 06 Dec 2007, wrote:

    There seems to be quite a bit of unrest in the public sector. Below is a verbatim auto response from an e-mail of someone I know (who works for the DWP). My understanding is that this industrial action is not just about pay but also about 'rationalisation' - maybe worth a piece covering many civil service departments??

    "Due to industrial action by the Public and Commercial Services Union, I will most likely be out of the office on Thursday & Friday, 6th & 7th December."

15. At 12:07 AM on 07 Dec 2007, Dr Hackenbush wrote:

    ‘Police pay’?

    They don’t pay me...

16. At 06:40 AM on 07 Dec 2007, Edward Wheatley wrote:

    The cause of all the recent problems is simple - the Government’s fixation with foreigners and its neglect of the indigenous voters.

    Two recent examples -

    How come we can afford to cannot pay police officers a decent wage yet can send over £70 million plus in aid to oil-rich Sudan ?

    Isn’t this just another example of this Government’s lack of interest in British problems while going for overseas vainglory.

    It is now admitted that local council funding is being cut from care of the elderly to support services for immigrants, asylum seekers and their families.

    This is outrageous !

    Pensioners have millions of votes. We should get together and vote out politicians who give preference to these foreigners over those of us who have served the country and paid our taxes all our lives

17. At 09:02 AM on 07 Dec 2007, Vyle Hernia wrote:

    UTT (12) An annual pay rise is indeed not a right. A monthly pay rise would be better, though. Under the present system the workers absorb the inflation of each month for a year, then if they are "Lucky" they get a rise that brings their gross income back up to the level from which it has dropped during the previous year. Usually, of course, at least 33% of their rise is absorbed by tax & NI, so their net pay still fails to match what it was a year before.

    And is inflation really running at around 2%? As an example, the favoured company to take over Northern Rock has increased its landline call charges by around 100% in the past 2 years.

18. At 09:12 AM on 07 Dec 2007, wrote:

    DJ (11)

    I don't understand why don't just say no to having to work overtime. I know for a fact that if our local constabulary stopped working overtime the force in our area would become totally ineffective.
    

19. At 11:46 AM on 07 Dec 2007, wrote:

    DI Wyman (17)
    Blimey! if cancelling overtime is likely to bring lawlessness to the streets of Horstead, what d'ye think it'd be like in Callander?! We're lucky if we see a bobby once a week.
    Oh, but I'm forgetting, the police in Scotland got their pay rise................ backdated to Sept 1st.

    Are the Horstead players putting on a show this year?

20. At 12:43 PM on 07 Dec 2007, wrote:

    DIY & UTT,

    Around here it used to be said that if you had seen the "Jam sandwich" (because of its orange-red stripe) you could do what you liked, because you knew where it was, there being only one.

    Slainte
    ed

    Our cops, the few that there are, are the few that we need in this un-crowded and relatively crime-free area. I'm pleased that the Scottish Government has honoured their pay deal.

    There appears to be irrefutable evidence that the mere fact of overcrowding induces violence.
    -- Harvey Wheeler
    

21. At 01:50 PM on 07 Dec 2007, DI Wyman wrote:

    UtT (19)

    police......in Horstead..........how dare you....tshh

22. At 05:16 PM on 07 Dec 2007, Davo wrote:

    The Chief Constable of Kent summed up the Govt :- dishonest and deceitful. Can I add decrepit, distasteful and disgraceful.

    Smith says, re the 42 day detention legislation "we must give the police the tools to fight terror". Yet she will not pay them as per the arbitration decision. An absolute outrage that only this Govt. could perpetrate.

23. At 06:09 PM on 07 Dec 2007, Anita Stanton wrote:

    I also thoroughly enjoyed the interview on Thursday with Eddie and the wonderful Hilda Gibson. What a heroine, and such a marvellous piece of radio. Again many thanks for giving her the time she deserved. I was sitting in traffic at the time so was able to hear it all. Thank s to you all.