Officers in Greater Manchester Police demand 17 per cent pay rise after 'feeling the pinch'
09.03.2023 - 22:25
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Rank-and-file police officers across Greater Manchester have backed calls for a 17 per cent pay rise this year.
It comes after the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) demanded the 17 per cent pay increase for officers, suggesting salaries are negatively affected by restrictions on their right to strike. It warned the Government could 'no longer sit by and ignore our members’ basic needs' and said police pay had lagged 17 per cent behind inflation since 2000.
Today the new chairman of the Greater Manchester branch of the federation, which represents almost 6,000 rank-and-file officer, supported the demand, pointing to bigger pay rises handed to other public services which do have the right to strike. He said cops were 'feeling the pinch'.
Mike Peake said: "This is the right call. Some may think that this is an unrealistic ask, but all you need to do is look at the figures. Police pay fell by 17 per cent in real terms between 2000 and 2022, yet other public sector workers who have the right to strike are and have seen much bigger pay increases.
“You just need to look at the very recent pay offer for the fire service, which equates to 12 per cent when backdated to July last year.
"Officers in GMP are no different to other members of the public, in that they are feeling the pinch of rising fuel costs, weekly shopping bills, and rises in interest rates. Many officers are having to make tough decisions and sacrifices in an attempt to survive each month.
"Local MPs and Government need to wake up and acknowledge that police officers deserve fair pay, and this can only be achieved by putting police pay back on track in line with inflation and other public sector pay rises. Every day officers in GMP put their lives on