Progress towards police Industrial Rights vote continues

A working group has been established as the Police Federation of England and Wales prepares to ballot members on pursuing industrial rights.

Zoë Wakefield, Hampshire Federation Chair, said: “Before people vote, they really need to understand the pros and cons about what it would mean if we had employee rights. Would there be stuff that we’d lose from police regulations? Would we keep everything? These things need to be addressed. Obviously [with industrial rights officers] could then be made redundant.

“That would have been a really scary thing a long time ago but it’s not anymore. And issues like six months off full pay when you’re sick – do private sector companies do that? Is that something that we have as a good benefit because of the type of role that we do? Would we still have that? All these issues need to be carefully looked at because we’re never going to get the right to strike. I think most people accept that. But perhaps we can have more say in our pay and conditions, and be a bit more empowered when people are being taken advantage of.”

The PFEW is calling for the Government to understand the restrictions and limitations put on police officers for the risks they face on a day-to-day basis and for pay to compensate for that impartiality in the pay review process. It also wants both parties to have the ability to secure binding arbitration.