The Police Federation of England and Wales has demanded a pay rise of “at least” 17% for all officers.
They say their members’ pay has slumped compared to private sector employees since 2000.
It follows a study by the Social Market Foundation think tank which found that police officers’ salaries have failed to keep pace with other workers.
The SMF found that while private sector staff have seen their wages rise by 14 per cent in real terms since the turn of the century, police officers’ salaries had declined by 17%.
According to the SMF, that was partly down to the fact that, unlike most other workers, police officers cannot go on strike.
The PFEW’s pay demand is another headache for home secretary Suella Braverman, who is already facing pressure over the government’s migrant crackdown.
It comes after months of strikes as public sector workers have demanded inflation-busting pay rises to help their members cope with the soaring cost of living.
Steve Hartshorn, chair of the PFEW, said the SMF research was a “wake-up call for policy makers in the UK”.
He said: “Police officers put their lives on the line every day to serve and protect their communities.
“That is why today our national council has taken the decision to call for a minimum of 17% increase in pay for our officers.
“The government can no longer sit by and ignore our members’ basic needs and must recognise the impact of this independent research.
“In the context of ongoing inflation, indications of a police retention crisis, and reports of officers being forced to turn to food banks, the issue of police pay must be addressed now after more than a decade of being ignored.
“Police officers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and that begins with better pay. Pay that not only reflects the cost of living crisis that many of us face but puts right the 17% decline since 2000 and compensates officers for the dangers they’re exposed to as part of the job.
“They must be compensated fairly for doing a job that is so important and unique that they do not have access to industrial rights.”