UNISON police staff members working in forces in England and Wales* are to stage a 24-hour strike starting at 07.00 hours on Friday 23 January unless a pay deal can be reached with the employers. This would be followed by a month of action short of strike action.
UNISON members in the police service work in jobs such as 999 call takers, police community supportofficers, scenes of crime officers, fingerprint experts, financial investigators, detention officers, crime reduction officers, crime analysts, enquiry desk officers, trainers, criminal justice clerks, and a wide range of vital operational and organisational support roles.
The initial strike planned for Monday 22 December 2014 was suspended to allow further negotiations between the union and the employers. The suspension also meant that the month-long ban on voluntary overtime was withdrawn.
UNISON national officer Ben Priestley said:
“Industrial action is a last resort and the initial talks with the employers were encouraging.
“We are hopeful that we can resolve the dispute and avoid any disruption.
“The rules around industrial action mean we have had to call another strike day to ensure we are still able to take strike action should the talks break down.”
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UNISON press office Fatima Ayad on 0207 121 5255 or F.ayad@unison.co.uk
Notes to editors:
* The industrial action ballot did not cover the following forces: Met Police, City of London Police, KentPolice, Surrey Police or Thames Valley Police.
Earlier this year the union asked for a three per cent, or £500, increase (whichever is the greater) on police staff pay points. The police employers responded with another one per cent offer. Sixty per cent voted yes for industrial action and eighty per cent for action short of strike action in a ballot that closed on 2 December 2014.
UNISON represents 30,000 police staff in England and Wales.