Police pay review: ‘Cameron has declared war on the public sector’

Clive Chamberlain lives in Beaminster and chairs the Police Federation in Dorset. He’s on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MrCliveC and well worth following.

This article titled “Police pay review: ‘Cameron has declared war on the public sector’” was written by Helen Carter, for The Guardian on Tuesday 8th March 2011 21.42 UTC

PC Clive Chamberlain has more than 30 years’ service with Dorset police. Now 50, he began his career in 1980 and has spent most of his service as a patrol and community beat officer.

He says Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary said there should not be more than 12% cuts in police services – yet the proposals suggest 20%. Some officers could have their pay cut by £4,000 a year.

“The government is quite clearly happy to utilise police officers to protect them from people who are unhappy about their policies and cuts,” says Chamberlain. “The irony is the people policing the demonstrations are likely to be in the same situation – or worse off – as those protesting.”

Chamberlain says he is likely to lose a competency-related payment, introduced by Labour home secretary David Blunkett, of £1,000 a year. “What they are doing is under the guise of ‘we won’t get rid of so many people if you take a pay cut’.

“Police officers don’t have a choice over whether they work overtime. If they are ordered to stay at work, they can be disciplined or sacked for refusing.”

Chamberlain, who has been injured in the course of duty – damaging ligaments and tendons after he jumped out of the way of a stolen car that was driven at him – says the Hutton report on public sector pensions is likely to bring further gloomy news for officers. He fears elements of policing will be deregulated and privatised.

“I know people who are struggling to live in Dorset because they can’t afford it,” Chamberlain says, adding that an increasing number have been seeking debt counselling. “Bush declared war on terror, Blair declared war on crime and it’s like Cameron has declared war on the public sector.”