They can kiss 2.2% of my ass!

News recently in that in the dispute over police pay, the Police Arbitration Panel have supported the Staff Side's proposal that we would be paid the amount they bloody well promised over the Official Side's trying to renege on a 27-year deal. John Reid is reported to have "accepted the ruling of the Police Arbitration Panel".

Yes that's right - he didn't accept it because it was fair, or because it was the right thing to do, because we've worked bloody hard over the past few years, dealing with the ever-shifting sands of policy, legislation and attempts at political influence, or because we've tried to face up to a new breed of terrorist that has struck at and killed for no good reason, because of the bravery and heroism shown by brother and sister officers in running into smoky tunnels to try to save as many lives as possible, then to be on endless "aid" to reassure the travelling public by high-visibility patrolling for months afterwards, all the while trying to deal with the trauma of what we saw and dealt with that day. It was not even because of the bridges we've tried to build or rebuild with vulnerable communities who have felt themselves targetted after such atrocities, or even to communities who have always been targetted by colour, race, sexuality, gender etc, which goes on and which we try to fight. He ignores that we've done all this, or at least tried our best to do this, whilst dealing with ordinary crime; the drug dealers, thieves and rapists did not stop when terrorism hit London - they capitalised on it.

No. He did it because he was forced to.

Each year, MPs vote themselves a pay rise. Often it looks on the surface like it's 1% but this doesn't take into account the interim jumps of often 6 or 8% (26% in 1996 and they all wanted 22% in 2005!), the travel allowances, the staff allowances, the postage (postage, for heaven's sakes!) allowance and a host of other benefits, nest-featherings and back-scratches possibly amounting to £200K, all the while CUTTING the number of hours that they do!

They tell us they have a stressful job? Well pick up body parts from the street and then patrol that area every day afterwards, still seeing those ghost pieces there in the corners of your vision, and comfort the frantic relatives and friends arriving at the hospital unsure of whether or not their loved ones are still alive or are suffering life-threatening or life-changing injuries and then tell us you've got a hard job.

And then deny us our pay rise until you're forced to accede by an arbitration panel? Reid and his cronies should hang their heads in shame.

Home Secretary ratifies police pay deal
Police officers in England and Wales will receive their disputed 3% pay claim

Home Secretary, John Reid has said in a statement that he accepts the ruling of the Police Arbitration Tribunal which will award officers the 3% indexation deal and for it to be backdated to September. He also announced that he would carry out a review of the way police pay was determined in the future.

Chairman of the Police Federation, Jan Berry has welcomed the award but expressed frustration that the dispute had taken so long to resolve, "whilst I am relieved that this year's pay settlement has been resolved, I am disappointed we had to take it to Arbitration".

In his statement Mr Reid has made clear that the indexation formula will form part of the review when he announces the terms of reference, "the tribunal panel accepted that we not only had the right but a duty to consider and put forward different factors and approaches which could be applied in determining police pay, to this end I will be reviewing the way police pay is determined including indexation."

The case was referred to the tribunal after the Official Side of PNB refused to accept the claim under a 27-year-old indexation formula, which links police pay to private sector pay awards. The Police Federation of England and Wales has fiercely contested the decision arguing that the deal reflects not only the unique nature of policing but also the fact that police officers are prohibited from taking industrial action.

A ‘fair pay campaign’ was launched by the Federation which included posters, postcards and media articles together with national and local lobbying of MPs by Federation Reps and members. All of which contributed to a successful outcome for all police officers.