Police Scotland staff accept 5% pay rise offer

Police staff in Scotland are to get a 5% pay increase, backdated to April 2022, after agreeing to an improved pay deal.

Scottish Police Authority (SPA) said the deal represented "a significant improvement" on their previous offer.

The agreement was reached in negotiations between Unison and Unite and the SPA and Police Scotland.

The offer was accepted in a ballot of union members. Police officers accepted a similar deal in August.

Police officers and police staff negotiate their pay deals separately.

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Civilian employees across all salary bands will see their pay packets rise, with shift allowances also going up 5%.

An SPA spokesperson said the agreement aimed to "achieve an appropriate balance by recognising the contribution, hard work and dedication of police staff" while being affordable.

"This has been a difficult offer because there is appreciation of the significant financial challenges created for our people as a result of the rises in the cost of living," they added.

The agreed pay deal included:

• The introduction of a dog transfer allowance of £1,239 a year for the transfer of police dogs in a personal vehicle

• Maintaining the policy position on no compulsory redundancy

• Four weeks paid parental leave for each child born or adopted from 1 April 2022, plus 4 weeks unpaid parental leave per child

The salary increases will back-dated to 1 April 2022 and be paid to staff next month.

SPA chair Martyn Evans said: "Our staff make an essential and valuable contribution to the delivery of policing across Scotland and we are very grateful to them for that."

Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone said: "Police staff work day in, day out, to support a shared mission of public service and it is right their commitment is recognised and rewarded.

"I thank everyone who worked to reach this agreement, particularly when staff are concerned about the cost of living crisis and its impact on them and their families."