Thousands of PSNI officers to get 2.5% pay rise

By Michael McHugh

Thousands of police in Northern Ireland will receive a 2.5% pay increase, the justice minister said.

The extra money will be backdated to September when there was no minister in place to approve the rise.

It aligns PSNI officers at federated and superintending ranks to the award given to counterparts in England and Wales.

Minister Naomi Long said: "The award is consistent with the recommendations of the independent Police Remuneration Review Body and recognises the work of police officers in Northern Ireland."

A spokesman for the Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI) said the increase should have come into force from September 1.

"It will come as some relief that it will finally appear in payslips at the end of the month.

"This is the third year in a row that agreed and approved pay increases have been delayed because of the absence of a minister.

"We welcome confirmation that the increase will be backdated."

The Federation will shortly engage with the police pay body on a new round of salary discussions in a bid to secure agreement by June.

The Federation added: "This 2.5% increase retains core pay spines with colleagues in England and Wales and we are determined to maintain that position once we enter formal discussions."