Saturday, May 24, 2008

Police Pay - Two Nations and Jan Berry

For most of the UK's Police Services the Government in Westminster refused to implement the Police Arbitration Tribunal's 2.5% Pay Award back-dated to September 2007 in full, but to stage it, so as to save 30 Million Pounds (but the Government had no problem finding 2.7 Billion Pounds in a failed attempt to save a by-election). In Scotland however the Tribunal' recommendation was accepted and Officers will receive the full amount back-dated to September - So much for One Nation!

Now I have never been a Police Officer but I found this refusal to accept the Arbitration Boards Decision, especially when the Teachers
Arbitration Board Recommendations had been fully accepted a disgrace. But when the situation results in a two nations Police Pay Standard I find the situation totally unacceptable.

Whilst I am only a Grumpy and who cares what I think, Jan Berry the outgoing Chair of the Police Federation in England and Wales, does at least have to be listened to!

Having seen excerpts from her Keynote speech to the Police Federation of England and Wales Conference, I was so impressed I decided to check out the full text which can be found here:

Jan Berry's
Keynote Speech In PDF Format.

I am not a Trade Unionist by nature (I still carry very bad memories of my virtually enforced membership of the TGWU in the 1970's and the rantings of Paid Officials, Conveners and Shop Stewards in 1980's).

But Jan Berry has impressed me so much that once she has had time to recharge her batteries after six years as Federation Chair, I hope she considers a Career either in Politics as a back bench MP. or in the Media on a flagship Programme such as BBC Newsnight. In either role she would truly be performing a Public Service to the Nation, of in an erudite and compelling way exposing the crass behaviour of Government Ministers.

Nick Robinson's News Blog had an item on the Federation Conference entitled:
Police beat up defenceless woman
Unfortunately he did not include the phrase 'and She Throughly Deserved It', so I will!

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