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On January 23rd around 22,500 police officers from all over the UK took part in a day of action in London. The reason behind this was to express their discontent over the long-running dispute with the UK government's failure to honour a pay agreement, including an annual pay rise for police officers.
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Arrangements were made by the UK police staff organisations for a march, starting at Hyde Park in London. In addition a rally was held in Westminster and thousands of police officers lobbied their MPs.
"If they [the UK government] want to treat the police the same as any other worker, we demand to have the same rights as other workers, which includes the right to take industrial action should negotiations collapse, Norrie Flowers, Chairman SPF Scotland said.
"We require a fair, open and trusting negotiating process. And if that process should fail, then we need to have a completely independent arbitration whose findings must be binding on both sides." |
| London, January 23rd 2008. About 22,500 police officers took part in the rally, including representatives from PFNI, SPF and BTFP. |
One proposal put forward by the UK government is to replace the current Police Negotiating Board, which has handled police salary issues across the UK for the last 28 years, with a pay review body. A big worry for the police is that in such a case salaries and working conditions would no longer be negotiated centrally, resulting in police officers having different salaries, scales and working conditions depending on where in the UK they work.
Since 1979 police pay has been decided on a median index with the police receiving the average percentage increase of this median. This automatic indexation policy which represents a political compromise between the staff organisations and the official side has been satisfactory for the police service of the UK. Disputes were settled by an independent arbitration tribunal. Based on the indexation policy it was accepted by all sides that due to "special circumstances of policing", a call for industrial action would not be necessary.
Terry Spence, Chairman of PFNI, Northern Ireland and the PFNI members are dismayed by the actions of the government.
"Government has acted disgracefully and is exploiting to the full that we have no right to strike. We are on a collision with Gordon Brown and the government has been dishonourable by breaking the independent arbitration decision."
"Our members are furious as there have been 30 attempts to murder our officers this year by terrorists."
What is the PFNI; Northern Ireland, planning to do about this?
"We are going to ballot our members on the restoration of right to strike in February. [This and the rally gives] a clear signal to government that we will not take this lying down and that we will fight to get a fair pay deal through the courts if necessary."
Roger Randall, General Secretary of the British Transport Police Federation, UK, said that the BTPF will also be balloting its members to get full industrial rights.
"The government's actions have been dishonourable. They have not implemented the arbitration award in full. Therefore we are pressing for binding arbitration. There is no point in having an [arbitration tribunal set up an award] if it isn't binding."
What is the BTPF planning to do about this?
"We are protesting in taking part of the march to walk three miles. We have the public sympathy in the way the government has handled the situation and we hope to achieve even more [public and] media interest through this."
External Links:
"Fair pay for the police", Official information poster for the rally. Pictured: Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, the Minister in charge of the UK Home Office, which is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales.
"Day of Action
23.01.08", Information on the rally from the Scottish Police Federation.
BBC report (video) from 23.01.2008:
"Police rally over pay"
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