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Police officers in England and Wales are considering pushing for greater workers’ rights, the head of their union warned on Wednesday, blaming a “breakdown” in relations with the government over pay and conditions.
Steve Hartshorn told delegates at the Police Federation’s annual conference that the 145,000 rank-and-file members he represents felt short-changed, and inadequately funded and supported by ministers.
In a combative speech in front of home secretary Suella Braverman, the federation’s national chair said policemen, who are barred from striking, had noted how industrial action by other public sector workers had given them greater leverage in negotiations.
He said that the pay uplift of 7 per cent this year was a “welcome step in the right direction,” but added that it still left police constables’ pay 17 per cent behind where it should be.
“We have, for the first time in many years been talking about seeking greater industrial rights . . . I don’t know where these conversations will lead,” said Hartshorn, whose organisation covers ranks from constable to chief inspector.
He explained the conversations had started because there had been “a real breakdown in the special relationship that has existed between governments of all political colours and the police”.
Police forces across England and Wales are under unprecedented pressure to improve their record in tackling crime while weeding out rogue officers following a series of scandals.
Six police forces are under special measures subjecting them to more stringent outside scrutiny, including London’s Metropolitan Police, which has been rocked by the conviction of firearms officer Wayne Couzens for murder and of two others for rape.
Hartshorn said the police faced an “incredibly turbulent and difficult time”. The criminal actions of a minority of officers had tainted the good work of their colleagues.
He called for a five-year inflation-linked funding settlement to make up for years of short-term budgeting. Police officers on duty in England and Wales had been subject to assault on 40,000 occasions over the past year, the equivalent of five incidents every hour, he added.
Detectives were “sinking” under multiple caseloads, and response officers were running from job to job, unable to give victims of crime the time and focus they wanted, he said.
“Nobody joins the job expecting an easy life,” he said. “But they do expect to be appreciated, valued and supported. Regrettably, it does not always feel that way, whether it be the media, senior police leaders, and — sorry to say it, home secretary — but government too.”
Hartshorn said he was strongly opposed to government plans to scrap independent misconduct panels and hand powers of dismissal to police chiefs.
“Your resolution has been to . . . introduce draconian misconduct practices to appease chief officers who have used the public mood to seek to reintroduce a culture of hire and fire at will,” he said to Braverman.
Speaking after the speech, the home secretary said the government was slashing bureaucracy to allow more officers to fight crime while recruiting an extra 20,000 police. She said the 7 per cent pay award came against a backdrop of a “tough economic climate”.
Police culture needed to improve “significantly”, she said, as she defended the ongoing reforms. “It was right to take action to make it easier for chief constables to remove officers who are not up to the job . . . right for the public and right for the majority of officers who do the job bravely and well — and who need to able to rely on their colleagues.”
