Police officers to withdraw goodwill in dispute over pay and conditions

Police officers in Scotland are set to withdraw their goodwill in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents more than 16,500 rank-and-file officers, said it will begin at 5pm on Friday and continue “until further notice.”

Police officers in Scotland are prohibited by law from going on strike, but they can choose to withdraw goodwill, or work to rule, as a means of expressing dissatisfaction.

In this case, the actions will include police officers beginning and ending shifts at their rostered hours and not taking items of PPE home with them after a shift.

They also include officers not taking “ancillary items” of equipment home with them, with the SPF saying that officers cannot afford the additional cost of charging electronic items at home.

In a letter to the Chief Constable published on the SPF website, SPF general secretary David Kennedy said the decision to formally withdraw goodwill had not been “endorsed lightly”.

“It is borne from sheer disappointment and the strength of feeling of our members for the utter contempt this pay offer represents to them,” he said.

“Police officers feel totally undervalued by the service, and that has been apparent from the surveys that have taken place in the last six months from both Police Scotland and the SPF.

“The SPF has consistently demonstrated a willingness to negotiate a fair pay settlement for our members and still remain open to a fair pay proposal before conciliation or arbitration has concluded.”

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: “This action highlights that relations between the SNP Government and hardworking officers have hit rock bottom.

“Given that they cannot legally go on strike, it is the most powerful step they can take to show how angry they are.

“It is little wonder that they have reached breaking point, given the SNP’s sustained cuts to the police budget, which have left officer numbers at their lowest since the SNP came to power in 2007.

“This should be an urgent wake-up call for SNP ministers to stop treating police officers with such contempt.”

Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: “Our officers work tirelessly every day to keep people safe across the country and it is right that their public service is recognised and rewarded.

“We know the impact that a situation like this has on our people but are confident they will continue to demonstrate the highest levels of commitment to communities across Scotland.

“We remain absolutely committed to further discussions with the staff side as the pay claim is progressed through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We have made what we believe to be a very fair offer of 4.75% to police officers, which is above inflation and higher than any pay increase agreed within the Scottish Public Sector, excluding the NHS.

“This is the maximum affordable offer in the face of public finances that remain under severe pressure.

“The process for agreeing officer pay is ongoing.

“Unions representing police staff are currently balloting their members and we await their outcome.

“Police officers in Scotland have consistently been the best paid in the UK, at the minimum and maximum of each rank.”