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Police 'want right to strike over pay'

7:15pm Thursday 6th December 2007

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Dyfed-Powys Police officers are at "boiling point" and openly calling for the right to strike over the implementation of a 2.5% pay rise.

The Dyfed-Powys Police Federation is furious that the rise, announced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith on Thursday, will be backdated from December 1st rather than September 1st - the start of the police pay year.

Federation secretary Peter Dickinson said that move had "effectively reduced the award to 1.9% and taken money away from police officers and their families".

In Scotland, the award was backdated to September.

Mr Dickinson said disappointment at the original 2.5% award has transformed to "great anger".

"My members are furious about this and Jacqui Smith should be ashamed of herself.

"There is a perception among officers that Ms Smith considers the inability of police officers to take any form of industrial action to be a weakness which she can exploit. Officers will no longer stand for this detrimental treatment".

Mr Dickinson warned: "The balance of opinion has shifted massively over recent months and officers of all ranks and service are openly calling for the right to strike.

"I appreciate that the public's sympathy is more in tune with nurses, the armed forces and teachers but that is because they have never had to deal with the threat of a police strike".

The federation is meeting on Tuesday and all options will be discussed, said Mr Dickinson.

"I have received numerous messages of discontent among rank and file officers, morale is at an all time low and anger is reaching boiling point".

Should police be able to strike? What do you think of the pay award?

Leave your comments in the box below.

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Walter, Pembrokeshire says...
9:55pm Thu 6 Dec 07

What is the pay of a Police Officer anyway ?

I could be wrong but im sure its near the £34000 mark for a qualified PC, so 2.5% isn't that bad really.

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Walter, Pembrokeshire says...
10:05pm Thu 6 Dec 07

Well i've been to search out the scales, my prediction above was wrong, The scales are in this web address below.....

http://www.police-in
formation.co.uk/poli
cepay.htm

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William Morris, St.Davids, Pembs. says...
9:14am Fri 7 Dec 07

When the police change their methods of working by scrapping unnecessary paperwork and CONCENTRATING on attention to burglaries, muggings, damage to property and the domestic concerns of the public, they they might possibly win sympathy for a larger pay rise. At present all they do is to ignore domestic crimes and because of the paperwork involved, only concentrate on enforcing out of date and antiquated speeding restrictions to fill their coffers. NO! people are not all zombies who can only take a glass of wine or half-a-pint of beer before becoming incapable of driving responsibly. Those are in the minority and most well-motivated members of the public respect traditional values and drink responsibly. The bureaucrats would like to pretend that this is not the case and wish to interpret us all in the terms of unprincipled and immoderate behaviour. The same applies to speed restrictions and the plethora of cameras set to trap people. This only causes anger and resentment at the police who spend all their time persecuting the motorist for gain. Reorganization is now a priority for the police as they well know! There has been much discussion recently by senior people and it is now time for them to bring about the changes and restore confidence in "the people's police"!

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Walter, Pembrokeshire says...
10:49am Fri 7 Dec 07

To be Honest William, i would rather see our Police be allowed to clock little scrotes around the ear !!

Just like they used to do to us when we were kids, If you saw a copper in the 60's 70's and early 80's and you were say scrumping etc, you'd crap yourself. These days they treat them like dirt,knowing that they cant do anything to them.

Paperwork has always gone with the job, just now they have to ensure all litigation has been dealt with, their backs are covered and every section of law has been covered, otherwise a watertight case can be kicked out of court because of a spelling mistake !.

Lets get back to old fashioned policing.

But the real power in this country doesn't lay with the Police..............
..Its at the feet of the PC Brigade !!!

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Bill, Pembroke Dock says...
9:04am Sat 8 Dec 07

'ear 'ear Walter, a clip around the ear never hurt anyone.

I think we would be in a sorry state though if the police were able to strike.

The very people (HM Forces) who would have to enforce law and order (should the police have the right to strike) are undermanned! under-paid! under-valued! under-equipped! (as are the police)and involved in two wars.

As far as the pay deal goes, the government through arbitration, agreed to award a pay deal of 2.5% of the police annual salary, not 2.5% of 9 months salary. The cash involved may not be much to an individual policeman but there is a princpal at stake here and this government chooses to ignore it.

This government (or should I say dictatorship) is riding rough shod over every body of people, who this country counts on to do some of the most unpleasant jobs going, (the police, the army, firemen, nurses etc. etc.)

To cap it all, we have lost the right to a referendum over our future in the common market.

This government are sewing seeds of dis-content and should be-ware the consequences.

PAY THE POLICE

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