Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness has quit her role negotiating pay deals for police staff in protest over the "grossly unfair" offer made by the Treasury.
In the run up to the Budget police officers were told they would have to accept a 0% pay freeze and while the Chancellor has this week promised a partial pay U-turn, he has refused to bring in any pay rise before this winter's crippling fuel bills hit.
Over the course of this year Ms McGuinness has led talks between PCCs nationally and the Home Office, but has now announced that “if ministers won’t stand by our workers then there is no point negotiating with this Government.”
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Police staff have previously been the only group of emergency responders to have had a pay freeze imposed on them.
Ms McGuinness, said: “Yes, we absolutely want to see an end to the pay freezes, especially to police staff, who have suffered a kick in the teeth when left out of previous pay rise announcements. But any rises offered at the expense of rising fuel bills and food costs, is an absolute no for me. It will make no difference whatsoever.
“We cannot wait until next year, these staff and officers are people who got us through a pandemic, they put their families at risk, and they did it for us.
“We need Government to fund an above inflation payrise for staff and officers urgently.”
Trade Union body UNISON has also called for fair pay for key workers.
UNISON regional secretary Clare Williams said: “If the Chancellor doesn't allocate extra money to government departments to fund the much-needed wage rises, the pay freeze will continue in all but name."
"There’s never a good time to freeze public sector pay. Doing so at the peak of a pandemic was the height of folly.
"Staff were doing their all to keep under-pressure services running, and ministers looked like they didn't care.
"There can be no decent public services without the people to run them. Pay freezes don't help employers hold on to experienced staff, nor attract new recruits.
Ms McGuinness resigned in writing as the lead negotiator for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners regarding staff pay.
Her resignation was raised in the Commons this afternoon, with North Tyneside MP Mary Glindon saying the move should be "worrying" for the government.
She said: "The Chancellor must allocate extra money to fund pay rises, he must put his money where his mouth is."
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