Police act on pay "betrayal"
Police to be balloted on strike action after row over pay
Wednesday, 12, Dec 2007 10:29
A nationwide ballot is to be held to determine whether police officers in England and Wales want the right to strike over a pay dispute.
The Police Federation (PolFed) has declared a vote of no confidence in home secretary Jacqui Smith, who it has accused of "betrayal", and called on her to resign.
It is thought to be the first time that police forces have demanded a home secretary quit the government.
An emergency meeting was held in central London today to discuss measures to secure changes to pay arrangements.
Police forces have expressed their "disgust" with the government's intention to increase their pay by 2.5 per cent from December.
According to PolFed the higher wage for the entire police service should be backdated to September to avoid a 0.6 per cent loss in the value of their raise due to inflation.
The police are forbidden from taking strike action by law, and it is unclear what proportion of officers would support a walkout.
"There is a tradition of policing that we don't have the right to strike," PolFed chair Jan Berry said.
"Police officers don't want to go down that road but they are being forced in that direction by the home secretary."
Ms Smith risked the ire of police forces after insisting the government was determined to maintain control over the public sector wage bill.
The government's stance has caused rifts in the Labour party as MP Keith Vaz, chair of parliament's home affairs select committee, claimed ten ministers and some MPs had called for police demands to be met.
A Home Office spokesperson said the department was preparing a response to the meeting's outcome.