Membership Subscriptions
In recent years, the Police Federation has done everything possible to keep membership subscription increases to a minimum.
Our subscriptions are currently £16.20 per lunar month; when you compare this to the Fire Brigade union who pay £24.36 per 4 weeks, and other unions who in the main do not have to fund massive legal bills each year defending their members (we spent over £12,000,000 last year, and potentially £18,000,000 this year), this represents very good value for money.
The annual subscription rise for 2010 (around 75p per week after tax relief) did not go ahead because of a legal challenge involving the date of
the Police Federation Annual Conference in 1959. This meant that, in future, we will have to set subscription rises at Conference in May, to be altered in the January of the following year.
This was agreed at conference last week and Martyn Mordecai, Police Federation National Treasurer has released the following statement:
"At the Annual General Meeting of the Police Federation of England and Wales today (Thursday 20th May), conference agreed that the membership subscription rate from 1st January 2011 will be increased to £4.98 a week.
"This difficult decision was taken after very careful consideration and lengthy debate. The decision reflects the desire by all Federation representatives to ensure that the Police Federation continues to provide the very best service to members and remains able to continue to fight for the very best terms and conditions for police officers in the face of difficult economic times and a changing and uncertain political climate.
"With police officers facing increasing dangers and threats on the streets it is imperative that the Police Federation is able to represent them to the very highest standard."
(NB The above rise is before any tax relief is applied)
Many of the current financial problems are historic; a rise of 13% agreed in 1995 was cancelled, arguably because the income from high interest rates on the reserves plugged the financial gap, but that income stream has since disappeared. We now find ourselves facing a number of issues without a national "war chest" to provide funding.
From this year, legal aid for Crown Court costs will be means tested (at £15,000 that includes every officer) and, if the case is successful, only
legal aid rates can be reclaimed and not the case costs. The legal representation we engage is of such a high standard that they will not represent the Police Federation for this rate, plus we need to retain a platinum service for our members. Cleveland officers have already received funding in the region of £350,000 this year alone with cases ongoing this could be substantially higher by year end.
We are still within the current 3 year pay deal, and the Home Secretary indicated that this would be paid in September, this equates to 2.55% but the new government also stated their intention to freeze or restrict public sector pay and review pensions in the very near future.
It is therefore vitally important for future negotiations that we have sufficient funds available should we need to fight a long and sustained pay or pension campaign. We also live with the constant threat of workforce modernisation, reform and changes to the workforce mix.
Membership of the Police Federation of England and Wales is not merely an insurance policy to guarantee legal support; it also ensures that officers have access to welfare advice, appropriate training, the correct equipment to do their job safely, and, through lobbying, fights hard to ensure officers receive better pay, allowances and pensions.
We need fixed subscriptions to ensure that police officers continue to receive the best possible service and are represented to the highest standards, both now and in the future.
G Thorburn
JBB Secretary |
S Matthews
JBB Chair |
