The thin Blue picket line?
Strong words at the POLICE FED conference.Jan Berry the Chairperson talking about the 'Right to Strike'
It doesn't sit well with me.
I know we are in a unique situation which, it is becoming clear, the Government want to exploit in their drive to 'curtail' Public expenditure.
But 'one out all out'?
My contempt for Politicians and politics has probably exacerbated the hardening of my arteries by several years but I cannot accept the fact that we, as Police, can at some point say..'I am withdrawing my Labour and not turning up to cover my shift'
With Health and Safety and Risk Assessments being the official 'by-laws' for our day to day activities, we could, if we want, bring this system to a complete halt by just following to the letter the legislation and 'a**e' covering Regs that officers face now.
The thing is that Officers who deal with the day to day stuff out there (or deal with it when it gets brought in) make things work.
They make the system work.
This is despite all the potential pitfalls and detritus that comes with trying to do the Job.
The media pays great attention to the 'mistakes' made by police if something goes wrong.
The 6-12 month Hindsight goggles get put on at Court and the officers find their every actions picked apart.
Yet despite all this, officers throughout the country pitch up for their shift and deal as normal.Are we dedicated professionals or simply 'suckers for punishment'?
I can understand Jan Berry's concerns.These are very uncertain times for Police pay and conditions...or just Police work generally...
There are No easy answers on this issue.
If it ever came to it, would I refuse to do my shift if the 'One out all out' was announced?
Personally No.
Things are bad enough out there without that.
I think the majority of my colleagues would be the same.
The Government would probably play on this but as I have said there are other ways to make a point using their own trumpeted legislation.
It doesn't sit well with me.
I know we are in a unique situation which, it is becoming clear, the Government want to exploit in their drive to 'curtail' Public expenditure.
But 'one out all out'?
My contempt for Politicians and politics has probably exacerbated the hardening of my arteries by several years but I cannot accept the fact that we, as Police, can at some point say..'I am withdrawing my Labour and not turning up to cover my shift'
With Health and Safety and Risk Assessments being the official 'by-laws' for our day to day activities, we could, if we want, bring this system to a complete halt by just following to the letter the legislation and 'a**e' covering Regs that officers face now.
The thing is that Officers who deal with the day to day stuff out there (or deal with it when it gets brought in) make things work.
They make the system work.
This is despite all the potential pitfalls and detritus that comes with trying to do the Job.
The media pays great attention to the 'mistakes' made by police if something goes wrong.
The 6-12 month Hindsight goggles get put on at Court and the officers find their every actions picked apart.
Yet despite all this, officers throughout the country pitch up for their shift and deal as normal.Are we dedicated professionals or simply 'suckers for punishment'?
I can understand Jan Berry's concerns.These are very uncertain times for Police pay and conditions...or just Police work generally...
There are No easy answers on this issue.
If it ever came to it, would I refuse to do my shift if the 'One out all out' was announced?
Personally No.
Things are bad enough out there without that.
I think the majority of my colleagues would be the same.
The Government would probably play on this but as I have said there are other ways to make a point using their own trumpeted legislation.
6 Comments:
Striking is the last action you take. That's when all negotiations have ceased.
The problem is a lot of employers know that their employees will not actually strike.So, it's back to the table and negotiate more until it becomes deadlock.
So, just how bad have things got to be before you will strike?
Sometimes, you have no choice, you have to take further action.
Annette, its actually against the law for the police to strike, so its not even an option. Jan Berry is talking out of her rather substantial arse when she says things as unhelpful as this.
She has been good at her job till now, but its the federation as a whole that needs to be changed. They are a toothless tiger. They are a group of people as far removed from policing as the senior officers, so therefor spend most of their time in cuckoo land talking about lampstands and fish. The grass root Fed reps are the unsung heroes. Those in office at Fed House are just a tired bunch of work shy malingerers who want to make a living out of hypocrisy and false empty militant attitudes.
TUPC.. how ungentlemanly..
You could have said 'Does her ar..guement look big in this?'
I assume Jan Berry was talking up the possibility of police taking the issue of a 'Right' to strike to the European stage.
But even if we went through all that.. and it wouldnt come cheap..
Perhaps Cherie Blair and her friends at Matrix chambers might do it Pro Bono...!!!
..and we achieved a position where the current 'sanctions' for taking this form of action fell away..
I still would not do it.
As I have said,if we wanted,we could bring the day to day running of the Job to a halt by just shouting 'Risk assessment/Health and Safety for everything we deal with.
The only way this Job functions is by the rank and file going out there and making it work.
I pay my Fed fees for the support if it all goes 'belly up'.
The Federation are no more than a 'negotiating body' who do indeed sit across the table with their dentures in a glass next to them.
These are uncertain times.
The 'Right to Strike' though often discussed would be a dreadful thing to demand at this time.
Far better to wait until people like Tony McNumpty (the 'Chumps' chump) and whatever moron becomes his boss - or his Tory equivalent (what's the difference thesedays))removes the status of warranted Crown servant from you all.
Then you woul need to have that right as you would be like any other 'worker' and would be treated as such.
You have status at the moment - although it is being slowly chipped away at.
Jan Berry talks 'arse' - always has done, what you need is a proper arsey leader like 'Mike Bennet' was. Berry and that nasal twat Smyth from the Met are not what is required.
Personally I don't think it's needed. My contracted hours in response are 48. If I withdraw my opt out of the Working time directive it means they cannot ask me to do planned overtime. If EVERYONE did that the system would simply collapse. IMO.
Mr Rowley Birkin QC
Thanks for your comment sir.
Would you consider offering your services as an independant negotiator on our behalf?
I think you may have summarised the current and future state of affairs in 5 paragraphs.
BP
I agree with you.The fine detail of the Working Time Directive has yet to really come to the fore in police negotiations.
By the way thanks for the link on your sidebar.Just noticed it...
(I only got 5/10 for observation at Hendon!)
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