Emergency Services pays scales (FOI)

Request

Please could you provide me with the pay matrix for the below emergency services:

• States of Jersey Police

• States of Jersey Ambulance Service

• States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service

Please also indicate when these pay scales were last reviewed, how often they are viewed, to include pay for staff at the bottom of the scale (example a trainee) up to the highest level which can be released.

Please also provide the basis on how the pay scales are calculated (such as cost of living, responsibility of the role and the danger level of the job and so on).

Please also confirm wage changes (Pay rises) which fall outside of the general pay scale, for example if a member of staff becomes a trained firearms officer or does other training for a role which is not normally part of the standard position. (To put this into context for SOJ a PC will receive a base salary of X amount, however if they complete and become a firearms officer, they will receive a base salary of X amount as a result of the training/new role).

Response

Please see Appendix 1, 2 and 3 for the current emergency services pay scales, which include all levels of experience and pay for each service. All public sector pay scales can be found on gov.je at the following link:

Public sector pay scales 

Pay awards are reviewed regularly; either on a year, two or three year pay deal basis, and always in consultation and negotiation with Trade Unions. Every effort is made to reach an agreement within the available funds. Public sector negotiations consider both the financial and economic situation facing the island, and the need to maintain a sustainable public service. Factors such as cost of living are taken into account, however there is no requirement to match RPI figures for the Island. Pay Awards are usually applied as a standard percentage increase across the pay group.

The States Employment Board made a formal final offer for 2017 to Trade Unions on 19 October 2017. This has been agreed, and implemented for Jersey Police and Jersey Fire and Rescue Services. The States Employment Board are still in negotiation with the Ambulance Service.

Some allowances outside of the general pay scales – such as “Specialist Instruction Rate” are uplifted in line with pay scales – ie 2% for 2017. Other additional payments may not be uplifted yearly. This is dependent on the allowances, which vary between pay groups.

Article applied

Article 23 – Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.