Police officers are are being “treated with contempt” by the Scottish Government after being left waiting months for a formal pay offer.
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents rank-and-file cops, submitted in May a claim for a 5.7 per cent increase for 2024/25.
But officers are still waiting for a response five months later. Police pay is set by SNP ministers in collaboration with Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.
David Kennedy, SPF general secretary, said today he was now looking at the “next course of action” in its campaign to ensure members receive the rise they have asked for.
“The Chief Constable, the SPA and the Scottish Government have let the service down,” Kennedy told 1919 magazine.
“We are the backbone of the public sector. We pick up everything else that others don’t do, and we continue to do so.
“What is keeping the police service afloat isn’t policy or procedure. What’s keeping it afloat are the people who work for the service – the cops – yet they’re being treated with total contempt.
“We demand to be treated fairly, and to be treated with the respect that our members who are hard-working police officers deserve. We will now be looking at what we can legally do within the regulations and that will be the next course of action that we will take.”
Police officers are legally prevented from going on strike but can choose to withdraw “goodwill” – which could mean refusing to work late shifts or take on extra responsibilities.
Cops secured a seven per cent wage rise last year following a lengthy dispute after an initial claim of 8.5 per cent was repeatedly rejected.
The two sides also agreed to commission an independent review into police officer pay and benefits to “identify mechanisms to ensure appropriate wage growth within policing going forward from 2025/26”.
The Fraser of Allander Institute was awarded that contract earlier this year by the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, the body that negotiates the pay, terms and conditions for officers.
The first element of this research relates to wage growth from 2025/26 onwards, while the second relates to current pay and benefits and will look at the “unique nature” of the role of a police officer in society.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The pay claim for police officers is being progressed through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, as is normal practice. We note that Mr Kennedy said [in September] that the claim is progressing in a positive manner.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Police Authority said: “The authority and Police Scotland are working hard, through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, to agree an affordable pay award for Scotland’s officers. Discussions remain ongoing.”
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