Metropolitan Police name centre employees to go on strike on New Year’s Eve in row over pay
Metropolitan Police call centre staff will strike on New Year’s Eve causing ‘delays to emergency call-outs’ in a dispute over pay.
Trade union Unite said 175 of its members were expected to walk out on one of the busiest days of the year, in a 25-hour-long protest.
The group admitted Londoners will have ‘concerns’ – but insisted there is ‘no choice’.
Protesters include members of office staff servicing and dispatching vehicles such as police cars and motorbikes as well as employees who record crime reports and technicians.
The strike, due to begin at 6am, follows complaints from staff that they have not received a pay increase from the Met for this financial year.
Unite regional officer Keith Henderson said: ‘We know Londoners will be concerned to hear of strikes on New Year’s Eve, but our members at the Met feel they have no choice but to strike in their fight for a fair pay rise.’
It follows the news resident doctors will also strike this week – putting patients at risk of ‘dying’ – despite a last ditch attempt by the Government to avoid bringing hospitals to a standstill.
Health secretary Wes Streeting yesterday condemned the announcement as ‘self-indulgent, irresponsible and dangerous’, warning of ‘fatal harm’.
Metropolitan Police call centre staff will strike on New Year’s Eve causing ‘delays to emergency call-outs’ after failing to get a pay rise (file image)
Trade union Unite said 175 of its members were expected to walk out on one of the busiest days of the year, in the 25-hour-long protest (file image)
Unite anticipates its Met call centre strike action will be ‘very disruptive’ causing ‘delays to emergency call-outs’.
Members say the Met has paid a 4.2 per cent pay rise to police officers and all other forces in the UK – but not to them.
Last year, policing New Year’s Eve cost the Met almost £2.3m, according to the union.
Meanwhile Mr Streeting has anticipated this week’s resident doctors’ strike will be ‘most painful for the NHS’.
He said: ‘The BMA has chosen Christmas strikes to inflict damage on the NHS at the moment of maximum danger, refusing the postpone them to January to help patients and other NHS staff cope over Christmas.
‘There is no need for these strikes to go ahead this week, and it reveals the BMA’s shocking disregard for patient safety and for other NHS staff.
‘These strikes are self-indulgent, irresponsible and dangerous.
‘The government’s offer would have halved competition for jobs and put more money in resident doctors’ pockets, but the BMA has again rejected it because it doesn’t meet their ask of a further 26 per cent pay rise.
‘Resident doctors have already had a 28.9 per cent pay rise — there is no justification for striking just because this fantasy demand has not been met.
‘I am appealing to ordinary resident doctors to go to work this week.’
