PSNI staff call off 'danger money' strike action

A planned strike by about 1,500 police staff has been postponed after an “interim agreement” was reached, the trade union Nipsa has said.

The dispute is over "danger money" payments known as the revised environmental allowance.

Nipsa said the breakthrough followed talks in recent days with Justice Minister Naomi Long and Chief Constable Jon Boutcher.

Duties carried out by the staff include call handling and work at crime scenes and custody suites.

In a statement, Nipsa said the dispute had not been resolved fully and some action short of walk-outs would continue.

The 24-hour strike on 11 July and other action on 12-13 July has been called off.

The interim agreement involves a one-off payment of about £500 to each staff member, pending a longer-term solution.

The PSNI has about 2,200 civilian staff and the total cost of the measure will be about £1.3m.

'Unacceptable' situation

“We have been given assurances that the allowance will be prioritised for full resolution in the coming months,” a Nipsa spokesperson said.

The justice minister said the development showed “a real and shared determination by all parties to resolve this long-standing issue”.

“I do not underestimate the crucial roles police staff undertake across the organisation," she said.

“I will continue to work with the chief constable and the Policing Board to aid them in delivering the longer-term sustainable allowance position.”

What is 'danger money'?

The "danger money" allowance of about £600 a year has remained largely unchanged for 30 years.

It is paid on top of salaries in recognition of the terrorist threat faced by all Police Service of Northern Ireland personnel.

The equivalent payment to officers is about £4,000.

Nipsa has described the situation as “unacceptable”.

While Mrs Long and Mr Boutcher support an increase, there have been issues around affordability.