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13/03/2002
Bobbies lobby Westminster for better working conditions
Around 5,000 off-duty police officers from across the UK came together to Wednesday to demonstrate outside Westminster to protest against planned reforms of the service.
Led by the Police Federation of England and Wales, officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland played their part in the daylong lobbying event on Police Reform.
The Federation-organised lobby was called in response to Government plans to give police powers to the private security industry and change police pay and conditions.
Jimmy Spratt, Chairman of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland, said the event was a measure of the strength of the rejection of Blunkett's proposals on Police Reform.
“The Police Service of Northern Ireland already knows the consequences of introducing proposals which can only lead to the undermining of police morale,” he said.
The UK Home Secretary David Blunkett says he is determined to deliver the security the public wants, but has indicated he may back down on some of the controversial proposals.
Officers have already voted by a 10-1 margin against the reform plans, which would cut their overtime and remove a range of allowances.
The Police Federation said with no right to industrial action, they had been left “no option but to lobby MPs”.
Fred Broughton, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: "Our very real concerns about the cheapening of the police service are being ignored.
“Politically drip-fed smear stories, plans to worsen pay for a group of public servants who regularly put their lives on the line and proposals to give non-police personnel powers to stop, detain and use 'reasonable force' against the public, have culminated in officers wanting to visibly display their frustration.
“If 91 per cent of rank and file officers are saying no to pay reform, that was negotiated hastily due to the unrealistic deadlines set, the Government should listen. It must acknowledge the strength of feeling among police officers."
(AMcE)
Led by the Police Federation of England and Wales, officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland played their part in the daylong lobbying event on Police Reform.
The Federation-organised lobby was called in response to Government plans to give police powers to the private security industry and change police pay and conditions.
Jimmy Spratt, Chairman of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland, said the event was a measure of the strength of the rejection of Blunkett's proposals on Police Reform.
“The Police Service of Northern Ireland already knows the consequences of introducing proposals which can only lead to the undermining of police morale,” he said.
The UK Home Secretary David Blunkett says he is determined to deliver the security the public wants, but has indicated he may back down on some of the controversial proposals.
Officers have already voted by a 10-1 margin against the reform plans, which would cut their overtime and remove a range of allowances.
The Police Federation said with no right to industrial action, they had been left “no option but to lobby MPs”.
Fred Broughton, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: "Our very real concerns about the cheapening of the police service are being ignored.
“Politically drip-fed smear stories, plans to worsen pay for a group of public servants who regularly put their lives on the line and proposals to give non-police personnel powers to stop, detain and use 'reasonable force' against the public, have culminated in officers wanting to visibly display their frustration.
“If 91 per cent of rank and file officers are saying no to pay reform, that was negotiated hastily due to the unrealistic deadlines set, the Government should listen. It must acknowledge the strength of feeling among police officers."
(AMcE)
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