Report reveals GMP has a 12pc gender pay gap

GREATER Manchester Police pays male officers and staff almost 12 per cent more on average than its female workers, according to the force’s gender pay gap report.

GMP paid its men an average hourly rate of £17.88 compared to £15.76 for women, a gap of 11.85pc.

The force said the discrepancy was the result of fewer women in senior roles.

Neighbouring constabularies in Cheshire, Derbyshire and Lancashire all had wider gender pay gaps.

The figures were highlighted in GMP’s gender pay gap report.

Every public body or company with more than 250 employees has been required to submit such a report to the Government Equalities Office following revelations last summer that the BBC paid its top male talent far more than their female equivalents.

At GMP, the gap was much smaller for male and female police officers (not including civilian workers) which showed that the average hourly rate for men was £19.19 compared to £18.69 for woman, a gap of 2.6pc.

GMP bosses insisted police officers of either sex were paid the same for performing the same role.

They said the gap was down to fewer women in senior police roles.

For civilian workers, men earned an average £14.59 per hour compared to the £13.59 earned by female police staff, a gap of 6.85pc.

The gap was illustrated by data, as of March 31 this year, of the pay of GMP’s 10,139 employees (6,061 police officers and 4,078 civilian workers).

The report revealed that 41pc of the workforce were female (4,126).

Assistant Chief Officer Lynne Potts said: “Where male and female police officers and staff are performing the same roles they are paid the same.

“Police officer salaries are set by the Home Office and are based on a national rank structure.

“The gender pay gap for police officers reflects the fact there are currently less women than men in senior positions.

“In relation to police staff the gender pay gap is explained by the fact that there is a higher proportion of women than men in lower-paid roles.

“We are absolutely determined to ensure our workforce reflects the communities we serve and are working hard to promote equal opportunities for all staff to ensure they can progress through the organisation based solely on their ability.”

Ms Potts is one of two female members of the sixstrong senior command team, led by Chief Constable Ian Hopkins.

A national police force league table, comparing the ●●Assistant chief officer Lynne Potts (inset) said the Greater Manchester Police gender pay gap was due to less women than men in senior positions and more women in lower paid roles mean pay rate (the rate of pay in the centre of all individual rates of pay) showed Derbyshire Constabulary had a gender pay gap of almost 30pc.

At Cheshire Police it was 26.2pc and Lancashire’s was 24.7pc.

There was no gender pay gap at Cleveland Police.