UK NEWS

TOP OFFICERS WANT THE RIGHT TO STRIKE

Sir Ian Blair

Saturday December 22,2007

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(3)

A QUARTER of senior officers in the country’s largest police force want the right to strike as the row over pay deepens.

Almost 500 emails from inspectors and chief inspectors in the Metropolitan Police have been sent, calling for full industrial rights and threatening to go to Europe to change the law.

The strength of feeling was revealed as PC Alex Challenor, of the Lancashire force, said he would return a bravery medal awarded after he was shot at while pursuing a gang of armed robbers in a car chase.

The country’s most senior police officer, Sir Ian Blair, yesterday joined fellow leaders in condemning Home Secretary Jacqui Smith for “picking a fight.”

His intervention came as more than 1,000 officers called for Ms Smith to resign, echoing a recent call from the Police Federation. Mark Crake, general secretary of the Met’s inspectors’ branch board, said he had received almost 500 emails from among the 2,100 inspectors and chief inspectors in the force. “They are incensed with the total dishonesty of this Government,” he said.

“Of the 495 responses, only three were not in favour of having the right to strike while the rest felt it was the right way to go.

“This is not to say they would strike – their first choice is to have binding arbitration – but they feel that if this is the way we are going to be dealt with by this Government, then our only option is to go to the European Court and challenge the Government to get the law changed.”

It is illegal for police officers to go on strike.

But the Police Federation is to ballot members in the New Year on whether they should now be given that right.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A POLICEMAN

22.12.07, 2:12pm

If you want to be able to strike then do not become a policeman - simple. And those who are policemen and want to strike should reconsider their position and resign.

• Posted by: G0LDENARR0W • Report Comment

NOTHING CHANGES!

22.12.07, 12:39pm

I got berated off Maggie yesterday for calling the police about picking on easy targets such as the motorist. She didn't like me calling them keystones and said that someone higher up made the rules. Of course the rules come from the top but this has been going on for years, long before the plastic policemen came onto the scene. Some guys were seen acting suspiciously outside my house and it was reported immediately, it took them over an hour to attend, to bloody late then wasn't it. This was back in the 80's, nothing changes.

• Posted by: snaredrum • Report Comment

TOP OFFICERS WANT THE RIGHT TO STRIKE

22.12.07, 11:04am

I know several people who are of the opinion that the police could go on strike.

They say If you are doing a couple of mph above the speed limit the police seem always to be in the vicinity and out there to catch and fine you.

If you report a theft or burglary they must be on strike because they never seem to come out to actually investigate.

Puzzling isnt it.

• Posted by: EmperorMing • Report Comment