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Police Federation lose Judicial Review
!0th June 2008 - The High Court have announced their findings in respect of the Judicial Review into the decision of the Home Secretary to overrule the independant arbitration outcome. (Click here for the full judgement)
Paul McKeever, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales and Chairman of the Staff Side of the Police Negotiating Board says: We are extremely disappointed with the decision of the Court. However,we take heart that we have won the moral case. This has been demonstrated by the tremendous support shown by the public and politicians of all political parties who have voiced their anger and concern at the way this government has treated police officers across the UK.We did not take the decision to bring this matter to court lightly, but the failure of the Home Secretary to fight our corner in government and her unwillingness to accept and implement the findings of an independent Police Arbitration Tribunal left us with no choice. Without the industrial rights enjoyed by other workers we had no other method of protesting and challenging the decision.
The Judgement recognises that "police officers are in a difficult position over pay. They are denied the right to strike. In its place is put negotiating and arbitration machinery, but the outcome of these processes is not binding on the eventual decision maker, the Home Secretary".
The Home Secretary’s action has shown that, whatever the decision reached through negotiation at the Police Negotiating Board, or recommendation of an independent Police Arbitration Tribunal, the government can impose whatever pay award they wish on police officers. That cannot be right. The trade off for not having industrial rights should be negotiation and binding arbitration
We are police officers, we want to fight crime and criminals, we don’t want to fight the Home Office and the Home Secretary. We should never have been put in this position by the Home Office in the first place.This action was brought to the High Court on behalf of the Staff Side of the Police Negotiating Board, representing all police officers of all ranks throughout the UK. On Thursday of this week there will be a meeting with our colleagues on Staff Side together with our legal team to discuss this judgment, its implications and the option of making an application to appeal against the decision.
Statement From The Thames Valley Police Authority
Thames Valley Police Authority vice chair Khan Juna has expressed his disappointment with the High Court decision not to award Police Officers a backdated pay rise.
The Authority had budgeted for the 2.5 per cent rise to be backdated and had welcomed last year's Police Arbittration Tribunal recommendation on police pay.
Thames Valley Police Authority vice chair Khan Juna said: "We are very disappopinted with the judgement made in the High Court.
"I believe the pay should have been backdated from September 1 and the Authority has backed the Federation on this matter throughout because we believe they have a fair claim.
"Thames Valley Police Authority budgeted for the pay rise to be backdated and we were fully in support of a backdated rise.
"We will continue to work with the Federation and the staff associations to ensure that our workforce has fair levels of pay’
Police Federation Conference 2008
Bournemouth
20th - 22nd May
Jan Berry: Keynote Speech to Conference
click here
Home Secretary: Speech to Conference
click here
New top team at Police Federation
At a meeting today 23/5 of the national Joint Central Committee of the Police Federation of England and Wales, the following were elected:
Chairman - Paul McKeever
General Secretary - Ian Rennie
Treasurer - David Moore
Vice-Chairman - Simon Reed
Deputy General Secretary - Steve Smith
Deputy Treasurer - Martyn Mordecai
Upon being elected as Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, Paul McKeever, a Metropolitan Police Sergeant, said:
“It is a great honour to be elected Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales and a great privilege to follow in the footsteps of such an influential predecessor as Jan Berry. I will help move the Federation positively forward through a time of great, and often tough, change.
“The police officers I represent throughout England and Wales are truly remarkable people and I am very proud to be able to lead them. This is a golden opportunity for us all to work together creating open dialogue with members, stakeholders and the public and making sure our voices are heard by those who need to listen.”