Police Scotland officers are set to take industrial action for the first time in a row over pay. Union chiefs have said frontline officers have been treated with "utter contempt" as they embarked on the most disruptive action ever taken.
Officers have been told to stop turning up for shifts early, to refuse to take equipment home with them and conclude their tours of duty at the allocated time on rota's. The Scottish Police Federation previously rejected a pay increase of £565 for cops, which general secretary Calum Steele said amounted to a 2 per cent rise for most members and 1 per cent for higher-earning members.
Steele said it is to demonstrate to police chiefs, Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Police Authority "how much free policing hours they take for granted." The move will see cops submitting overtime claims for things that have traditionally been done for free such as being held on at the end of their shift, turning up early for pre-shift briefings and charging vital equipment at home.
The union said such practices must stop unless an officer is being paid. In a letter to Chief Constable Iain Livingston, Steele wrote: 'As you may be aware the Joint Central Committee (JCC) of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) unanimously endorsed a series of actions in response to the derisory pay offer made to our members on the 16th May.
'I write to advise you that with effect from 1700 hours on Friday 1st July our members will be withdrawing all good-will in respect of policing. Further actions to safeguard our members health and safety, and to mitigate the effects of the cost of living crisis on them.'
The Federation has advised officers not to turn up for shifts early, finish at the time stated on their roster with any time over claimed for payment, not to take any personal equipment home with them such as radios and data appliances to save on energy bills at home and any officer required to work anywhere other than their usual workplace will not turn up until their shifts starts which will require the previous shift to hang on and claim overtime.
Steele added: 'I need to be clear that the formal withdrawal of good-will is not an action the JCC has endorsed lightly. It is nonetheless a manifestation of the strength of feeling of our members of the utter contempt this pay offer represents to them.
'It will not be lost on you that this is the most significant discontent in the police service since the 1970s, and the most overt demonstration of action by our members in over 100 years. The SPF has consistently demonstrated a willingness to negotiate a fair pay settlement for our members and remain open to meaningful dialogue on fair pay proposals now.'
And in a letter to his members he said: 'It is vitally important that all of our members stand shoulder to shoulder in support of this action, for all of the reasons laid out in the afore mentioned Circular. There will be no improvement in our pay situation if we don’t.'
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Police Officer pay has been negotiated for many years through the Police Negotiating Board (PNB), which includes Police Officer Staff Associations, the Scottish Police Authority, Police Scotland, and the Scottish Government. The PNB process is ongoing in relation to pay for 2022/23, and we await the outcome of those discussions.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We recognise the considerable goodwill officers bring to their roles on a daily basis as they keep people safe across the country, and this is also valued by the communities they serve. We therefore remain committed, through the Police Negotiating Board, to seeking a settlement.”
Scottish Labour Justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill said: “This is a direct result of the SNP’s appalling handling of these negotiations, which has left police feeling unappreciated and ignored.
“For far too long the SNP have relied on the goodwill of police officers to go the extra mile – but we are about to see the consequences of that being withdrawn. The SNP must get round the table to agree a fair deal for policing.”
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