Sussex police boss criticises 'disgraceful' public sector pay freeze
The move was announced by the Chancellor in his Spending Review on Wednesday (November 25th)
Last updated 26th Nov 2020
The chairman of the Sussex Police Federation has described freezing the pay of millions of public sector work as a 'betrayal' of their efforts to combat Covid-19.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that a pause will take place for groups including police officers, firefighters, prison officers, care workers and local authority staff in 2021 in his Spending Review on Wednesday (November 25th).
Nurses and doctors will be exempt from the freeze, while those in the public sector earning less than ÂŁ24,000 a year will still get a pay rise of at least ÂŁ250.
Daren Egan has attacked the move as 'disgraceful' - saying it does not reflect the hard work and sacrifices public sector workers have made during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The vast majority of officers will now face yet another pay cut, after years of austerity it means in real terms a reduction in pay of 18%.
“Ironically some officers will get the additional £250 for the being in lowest paid workers, to me this says it all when it comes to the current poor state of police officers’ pay.”
Mr Sunak did tell MPs that “pay progressions and promotions will carry on” in the public sector which should refer to police officers who receive/are scheduled to receive incremental rises.
Mr Egan added:
“When the pandemic began I saw the uncertainty and often fear in my colleagues faces, they had their own families to protect and we were asking them to carry on, getting hands on with criminals, mostly without sufficient masks or any protection.
“Not once did I see any officer turn away from their responsibilities to keep us all safe - after 26 years policing on the front line it was a humbling experience and makes me proud to be a police officer.
“We all know that the country is in financial difficulty, but rather than doing the right thing by rewarding all front line workers who have dealt with this pandemic face to face, this Government has rewarded some and penalised others.
“This divisive pay freeze excludes doctors and nurses, but penalises others including police officers, prison officers and care workers who also continue to work through this pandemic, putting theirs and their families lives at risk of contracting Covid-19 to protect and care for others."