Public and Commercial Services Union
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Met Police To Stage Strike Over Pay
Up to 9,000 members of PCS working for the Met Police, including Police Community Support Officers, Traffic Wardens, 999 Operators and admin support staff, as well as Houses of Parliament security staff will be taking part in a one-day strike next Wednesday (12 March) over a below inflation pay offer.
70% of members taking part in a strike ballot supported the one-day stoppage which will hit over 200 police stations across the Capital's 32 boroughs. With the retail price index measure of inflation at 4.1% the pay offer of a 2.5% cost of living increase represents a pay cut in real terms. Staff are angry over the squeeze in pay, when for the fifth year running there has been a massive under spend on the police staff budget.
The strike announcement comes as pay problems across the civil and public service come to a head following the government's policy to drive down wages by capping pay increases below inflation. Tomorrow members in the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) take part in their first ever one-day strike over pay levels that fall way behind those paid to other emergency services and below inflation cost of living increases.
Friday last week saw a strongly supported strike over pay inequality and below inflation pay in the Department for Transport (DfT) and five of its agencies, with approximately 5,000 driving tests cancelled. Elsewhere in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), there could be further strike action in their dispute over a pay offer that sees 40% of staff receive 0% this year.
Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "Below inflation pay is a growing problem across the public sector with the government using the discredited argument that public sector pay fuels inflation to squeeze people's pay. Staff who play a vital role in the fight against crime aren't prepared to see their pay cut in real terms as the cost of living in the Capital increases at nearly double of what is on offer. Met Police management need to recognise the important role that staff play by paying a fair wage."
