Police to be balloted on right to strike

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Godot

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Police officers in England and Wales are to be balloted on whether they want to be given the right to strike, the Police Federation has said.

Police officers are currently banned by law from taking industrial action.

The ballot of 135,000 members follows 20% budget cuts and proposals for the most wide-ranging reform of pay and conditions in more than 30 years.

A rally will also be held in May to "highlight the unprecedented attack on policing by this government," it said.

The federation said it would explore all the consequences, including the legal position, of police officers obtaining full industrial rights.

The national committee, which voted unanimously for the move, also called on the home secretary to reject Tom Winsor's proposed reforms on pay and conditions which was published last week.

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The rally is planned to take place before the Police Federation annual conference in May.

"In order that police officers, families, friends and supporters can show their strength of feeling against the budget cuts being applied to policing and the consequences for public safety," the statement said.

The Police Federation last took similar action in May 2008, when it surveyed its membership, asking: "in the absence of binding arbitration would you like the Federation Executive to 'lobby' for the right to strike?" Some 87% of its 60,000 responses were in favour.

BBC News - Police to be balloted on right to strike

I think I voted "No" with the majority, when this came up (or was it on the issuing of firearms ?) back in the 1990s. Now I' not so sure.
 
Maybe they would also like the right to work under the same pay and conditions as private security guards.
 
They should not have the right to strike...they would then literally be able to hold the country to ransom, and the riots of August 2011 would be a mere skirmish compared to what could happen.
 
Police have had their somewhat unique position in society so eroded over the last 30 years it's no surprise they wish to be treated as the rest.
Shame really but much due to their own lack of direction and independence and sense of position in society they now feel its their role to influence public policy rather than protect the rest of us from those unwilling to accept the rule of law and elected parliament.
 
Windsor review summary - Fact Sheet - Polce Staff


Winsor Part 2 Report at a glance – Police Staff
The aim of the Part 2 Report is to create a more skilled and effective workforce fit to face the challenges of the next 30 years.

The recommendations, if accepted, will encourage the harmonisation of officer and staff roles and reduce the pressure on chief constables to make staff redundant in order to cut costs.

The Part 2 Report has been presented to the Home Secretary. If she wishes to implement the recommendations, they will be negotiated through the Police Staff Council in the normal way.

The key recommendations (if implemented) from Winsor Part 2 that will affect you:

 Harmonisation–officer and staff pay and conditions should be harmonised over time, with officer pay and conditions changing to become more like staff pay and conditions

 Direct Entry (Inspector) Scheme – a fast track scheme open to staff as in-service candidates. If selected, you will be able to reach the rank of inspector after just three years of intensive development and frontline experience.

 New approach to restricted duties – civilian staff sometimes work alongside police officers, doing the same job, but for significantly less pay. That is not fair. A more robust and equitable process for managing officers on restricted duties is needed. Those officers in roles that do not utilise the skills or powers of a police officer, or who cannot be redeployed into public facing roles, should lose 8% of their basic pay (up to a maximum of £2,922) after one year on restricted duties. After a second year, they should be removed from the force, and offered the opportunity to apply for a police staff job if one is available.

 A power akin to compulsory severance for police officers – some forces have made staff redundant in order to stay within budget. It is not fair that staff alone face redundancy. Chief constables should be given new powers akin to compulsory severance for police officers to enable them to manage their workforce effectively in times of financial pressure, and ensure the right mix of officers and staff in the workforce.

 Unsocial hours – unsocial hours payments for staff should be harmonised with those of officers. You should earn double time for any hours worked between 8pm and 6am.

 Overtime – staff overtime arrangements should be harmonised with those of officers, with Sundays paid at plain time whilst Christmas and seven other days that you nominate should be paid at double time.

 Fitness tests – if you undertake personal safety training as part of your job, you,along with all police officers, should be required to take an annual fitness test to ensure you are fit and healthy enough to protect yourself. If you fail it three times in a row, you should be subject to unsatisfactory performance measures.

 Contribution-related pay – both officers and staff should move to a system of pay progression on the basis of contribution, as assessed in your annual appraisal. If you work hard and make a full contribution to the police service, you will earn more.

 Maintenance of local pay and conditions arrangements for staff – no national pay grading for staff, to give forces the flexibility they need to react to local labour market conditions.

 New funding for better research and data on police staff issues – too often staff have been neglected within the police service. The Police Staff Council should receive funding to obtain better data to ensure that future decisions about your pay and conditions are made on the best evidence available.
 
A tad ironic, really.

All those £20 notes waved in front of striking miners wives that couldn't afford to feed their children and where has it got them? Staring down the barrel of a gun, that's where.

We will never forget...
 
I do recall a 'friend-of-a-friend' was a copper during the strike, he said they had a 'campaign tie' made up...a miners safety helmet tipping coins into a coppers helmet...oh how we laughed...
 
ThinkingPoliceman-1.jpg
 
Maybe they would also like the right to work under the same pay and conditions as private security guards.

I'd like to be able to discuss this but the job says I'm not allowed. (descension in the service)

I'd like to talk to my neighbour, but the job says I'm not allowed. (disclosable association)

I wanted to move, but the job said I was not allowed (commissioners permission)

I wanted to have weeks leave but I was not allowed (service requirements of strengh)

I knew what I was joining and these are just some of the many rules. I accepted this as I was compensated for it.

If they want me to work the same as a security guard that's fine, then DO give me the same rights and pay as them, as then I can claim the same benefits as them and enjoy a better life style with more free family time.

Or let me carry on with the job that love, that I am very good at and that I provide for damn good value for money, to you.
 
The Police do have a very hard job to do.

Every summer I usually work as a bouncer in Glasgow City Centre and the amount of drunken lunatics you have to deal with is crazy. I never had much time for the Police until I worked on the doors, then I gained some respect for the job they do as the people they have to deal with are dangerous, it takes some bottle I'm sure.

Not to mention the rapes, murders and robberies they have to deal with, not everyone could do there job.
 
Not to mention the rapes, murders and robberies they have to deal with, not everyone could do there job.

To say nothing of Family Liaison Officers, Crime prevention Officers, desk jockeys, long term sickness, short working hours, early retirement, very large cash lump sum, large pension.

Part of the problem being addressed now is that most serving police no longer serve in active roles, but take roles that Admin staff should be doing.
If they want the cushy back office jobs take the Admin payment and conditions.
 
To say nothing of Family Liaison Officers, Crime prevention Officers, desk jockeys, long term sickness, short working hours, early retirement, very large cash lump sum, large pension.

Part of the problem being addressed now is that most serving police no longer serve in active roles, but take roles that Admin staff should be doing.
If they want the cushy back office jobs take the Admin payment and conditions.

I'm not saying the police are perfect, but i would say i doubt you would last a weekend in Manchester, Birmingham or Glasgow city centre, I might be wrong though.
 
A tad ironic, really.

All those £20 notes waved in front of striking miners wives that couldn't afford to feed their children and where has it got them? Staring down the barrel of a gun, that's where.

We will never forget...
In all fairness Lee you're going by what you've been told.
For those of us who suffered the lawless, bigoted, anti democratic bullying by miners we actually remember something very different!
Although none of this is really anything to do with the thread.
 
In all fairness Lee you're going by what you've been told.
Hello, hope you're well Stevie,
You're quite right, I wasn't there, but waving £20 notes was tame compared to what else I've learned, all of it is common knowledge round here. Not quite the propaganda pumped out by the Tories and Maxwell...

We can save this argument for another time though, I think we can agree on that. ;)
 
For those of us who suffered the lawless, bigoted, anti democratic bullying by the police we actually remember what happened!

Typo corrected.

And I was there (thankfully not in that industry although I know a lot who were.)

And all these years on the scars and consequences are still around just a few miles away from where I'm sitting.

The police played their part but the main villains in the piece were elsewhere.
 
That's a short list to which I'd add Scargill for one - albeit less culpable than the 'iron lady'.
 

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