North Wales Police Federation aim to effectively support our Officers and promote the efficiency of the North Wales Police.
We will endeavour to represent and negotiate for our members in a robust, open and honest manner to ensure that officers are treated fairly and considerately at all times by the Force.
We aim to provide a professional and caring service to our members with a view to fostering a relationship which is founded on trust, confidentiality and respect on both sides. We will endeavour to build on that relationship to determine the most appropriate support, advice and action relevant to the individual needs and issues.
Treasury announce an industrial resolution for pensions
The Treasury yesterday laid a written statement on behalf of the government in respect of the Judges’ and Firefighters’ Pensions. The statement, which can be seen below, makes clear that the Government will apply an industrial remedy to the discrimination found by the Employment Appeal Tribunal. That means that the remedy will apply to every worker in the public sector pension schemes, including police officers.
The government is committed to providing public service pensions that are fair for public sector workers and for taxpayers. This is why we brought forward reforms in 2015, based on the recommendations of the Hutton report, to ensure that these pensions are sustainable in the future.
The courts have considered cases regarding the implementation of the 2015 reforms. On 27 June 2019 the Supreme Court denied the government permission to appeal the Court of Appeal’s judgment that transitional provisions introduced to the reformed judges and firefighters pension schemes in 2015 gave rise to unlawful age discrimination. The government respects the Court’s decision and will engage fully with the Employment Tribunal to agree how the discrimination will be remedied.
The ruling relates to the ‘transitional protection’ offered to some members when the reformed schemes were introduced. In order to ensure people close to retirement age were treated fairly, the government agreed to ‘transitional protection’, which broadly permitted those members who were closest to retirement at the time new pension schemes were introduced to remain members of their respective old schemes. The court has found that those too far away from retirement age to qualify for ‘transitional protection’ have been unfairly discriminated against. As ‘transitional protection’ was offered to members of all the main public service pension schemes, the government believes that the difference in treatment will need to be remedied across all those schemes. This includes schemes for the NHS, civil service, local government, teachers, police, armed forces, judiciary and fire and rescue workers. Continuing to resist the full implications of the judgment in Court would only add to the uncertainty experienced by members.
The matter will be remitted to the Employment Tribunal in respect of the litigants in the firefighters and judicial pension schemes. It will be for the Tribunal to determine a remedy. Alongside this process, government will be engaging with employer and member representatives, as well as the devolved administrations, to help inform our proposals to the Tribunal and in respect of the other public service pension schemes.
Initial estimates suggest remedying the discrimination will add around £4bn per annum to scheme liabilities from 2015.
The reasons for the 2015 reforms remain: that public service pensions are a significant cost for the taxpayer, now and in the future. The judgment does not alter the government’s commitment to ensuring that the cost of public service pensions are affordable for taxpayers and sustainable for the long term.
Hero officers will be recognised at Police Bravery Awards ceremony
Some of the finest officers in England and Wales are set to be honoured at the national Police Bravery Awards on 18 July.
North Wales Police nominee PC Gareth Jaggard showed incredible bravery by going alone in a search of an armed offender in the dark.
North Wales Police received a call that a petrol station had been robbed by an offender with a knife, so PC Gareth Jaggard and two other officers responded. Using his local knowledge, PC Jaggard got out of the police vehicle on the way to the petrol station to try to intercept the suspect leaving the scene.
The other officers carried on to the petrol station to help the victim, who had been working alone and was traumatised by the incident. PC Jaggard quickly found the suspect climbing over a wall fleeing from the direction of the petrol station. The officer was fully aware that the suspect had a knife but managed to contain the man using his communication skills and Taser. He also pressed the red button on his radio to help other officers find his location.
PC Jaggard was joined by colleagues who arrested the suspect just six minutes after the original alarm call. Using the officer’s observations of the suspect the knife was recovered nearby, as he had heard him drop it.
Don’t miss out on the chance to have your say on pay
The only national survey which captures members views on pay, conditions and morale launches on 10 June.
This year’s survey includes specific questions around pay reforms and members feedback is really important as it will be used as evidence in our Pay Review Remuneration Body (PRRB) submission in November.
Last year’s survey showed that over 80% of North Wales Police officers highlighted low force morale due to the way the police service is treated as a whole combined with an ongoing attack on their pay and conditions.
The findings of this survey have never been more relevant, particularly following the governments derisory 2% pay ‘award’ announced last year.
The ‘award’ amounted to a measly uplift of 0.85% in real terms and is what led PFEW to lodge an application for judicial review around the government’s decision to ignore an independent body’s recommended amid the rise in crime, demand and terror threat.
General Secretary of the North Wales Police Federation, Mark Jones, said: “Our Pay and Morale survey provides crucial evidence from our members on issues around pay conditions and morale within the service.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of this survey; the findings help us stand up and fight for what our members deserve and ensure their voices are heard.”
The survey data is also used to influence other policing stakeholders – for example, the College of Policing on initiatives such as competency-based pay. Also, HMICFRS have welcomed the robust and meaningful data, and now make use of the pay and morale survey findings in their national Police Effectiveness Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) assessment reports. This ultimately benefits federated ranks by ensuring improved management and support systems.
More than 27,000 police officers nationally – nearly a quarter of all ranks from constable to chief inspector – took part in the survey last year and we hope to see even more members take part this year.
Freedom of Information and Data Protection
From April 3rd 2017 The Police Federation of England and Wales has been subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for on this site or on the access to information page, please send your request to FOI@polfed.org or write to us at:
Freedom of Information,
Federation House,
Highbury Drive,
Leatherhead,
Surrey,
KT22 7UY.
Further details are available on the Police Federation Publication scheme
Further information about the Freedom of Information Act 2000 can be found here
You can view our Privacy Notice and Privacy Policy here
