POLICE TO STRIKE?

Jacqui Smith

The police are so angry that the government reneged on their pay deal that thousands of police officers are threatening industrial action over the issue! (Police to Strike?)

Because they are legally barred from going on strike some officers are planning to refuse to work on their days off and will call in sick, refusing to turn up for work if they have even the slightest hint of illness.

Even though strike action by police officers is illegal, the Police Federation is to stage its first national ballot asking its members if they want the right to strike.

Jan Berry, the Police Federation chairwoman, said: "This is worse than Sheehy. Police officers are absolutely furious - my email inbox is in meltdown."

In 1992 the then Tory Home Secretary Kenneth Clarke set up an inquiry into police pay under Sir Patrick Sheehy, the former chairman of British-American Tobacco.

Sir Patrick's key proposal was performance-related pay, but this was rejected by 20,000 furious police officers at Wembley Arena and although although peace was restored, many issues were left unresolved.

What has particularly enraged the police is that although their pay rise will NOT be backdated to September, as previously agreed, in Scotland pay rises for the police will be backdated!

A senior Police Federation source said last night: "Our dedicated officers from all over Britain have been left in the dark over their pay. They feel deceived and let down!"

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis called it "a sign of spectacular incompetence.."

But "spectacular incompetence" is the only thing this useless government seems capapble of - from prison overcrowding - to dangerous prisoners walking free from open jails - to the loss of the personal details of millions of people - to paying prisoners "compensation" for being freed early - "spectacular incompetence" would seem to be a compliment to a government which turns every single thing it touches into a monumental disaster and has now managed to turn a simple pay deal into a national crisis!

DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT - JOIN NAVIGOR TODAY !