NARPO: Police officers right to strike

Friday, 23 May 2008 12:00 AM

As former police officers NARPO members understand the ever increasing pressures on police officers of all ranks. Policing is a profession, which most officers see as a vocation, providing protection for the public. It deserves to be protected by government.

We understand and support current officers in their desire for fair pay and a fair pay determining process. NARPO believe that independent arbitration should be binding on all parties including the Home Secretary.

The current significant vote by police officers to seek the right to strike is a clear indication of the services loss of faith in government, which was not helped by the government forcing its MPs to vote against a recent legislative proposal to make binding arbitration possible.

NARPO believe that this is a watershed for policing and a sad day for all of those who serve or have served but we believe that officers have been forced into this situation by the disgraceful way they have been treated.

David Anderton, the President of NARPO said, 'This is clearly a reaction by police officers to the totally unfair way in which they have been treated. They have been left with no alternative but to seek stronger powers of protest against a government which has appeared set from the start to ignore reasonable argument and independent arbitration. Trust must be restored between the service and Government as soon as possible. At the very least, the service should be guaranteed binding arbitration. We believe this is essential to restoring any faith in the negotiation process and avoiding further confrontation.'

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