Vote On Industrial Rights

As many officers as possible need to express their views on industrial rights, the Chair of Hampshire Police Federation has said, as she urged members to vote.

The PFEW vote is open until 21:59 on 23 June, and all members, including Special Constables, can take part via a link sent by the Federation. They will vote on whether they want PFEW to pursue industrial rights for police officers, especially the right to ‘collective bargaining’, with a focus on a fairer, binding, pay mechanism.

Hampshire Police Federation Chair Zoë Wakefield said: “A lot of young-in-service officers – and I was the same at that age! – maybe don’t fully understand what the Federation is for. But as you progress through your service, you become more aware of the political influence on policing.

“So I would encourage all our officers to read the information and have your say, because it is really important that we get as many people’s views as possible. If people don’t understand or have any questions, please speak to a Fed Rep, either locally or in the office, and we can answer their questions and explain things in a little bit more detail.

“I’m not here to tell you which way to vote; we’re guided by our members and their genuine opinions. It’s important that our members’ money is spent on the things that they want us to spend it on, and what they want us to to fight for and to challenge.”

A statement from the PFEW said: “As a membership-led organisation, we feel it is important that we seek the view of all members on this matter, and PFEW will act on the majority position. There are of course legal parameters and challenges to be aware of, which is why time has been taken to approach this task carefully.”