Police prepare to march for better wages

10:41pm Wednesday 16th January 2008

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HUNDREDS of police officers from West Mercia are set to march in protest against poor pay.

About 300 off-duty officers, including many from Worcestershire and Herefordshire, are expected to join up to 15,000 of their colleagues from across England and Wales on a rally in central London next week.

The rally, organised by the Police Federation, will see officers performing a "mass queue" outside the Palace of Westminster after being denied permission to march through Parliament Square.

Thousands are expected to form a single file line beginning at the public entrance to the Houses of Parliament, and will then enter the buliding to lobby their MPs.

However, officers will be instructed to take steps to avoid breaking laws which ban unlicensed demonstrations in parts of Westminster.

The rally will enable officers and their families to demonstrate their anger at what the Federation regard as the Government's "recent betrayal over pay".

Because it is an offence for officers to take strike action the rally, on Wednesday, January 23, is one of the only way officers can protest over what they regard as a poor pay settlement from Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Andy White, chairman of West Mercia Police Federation, said: "The feelings of officers within the force can be described as angry, disgruntled and disillusioned with the government and in particular the Labour MP for Redditch, who just happens to be the Home Secretary."

The federation said the planned march follows the Government's decision not to ratify, in full, the ruling of the Police Arbitration Tribunal and to pay officers the recommended 2.5 per cent wage increase, backdated to September.

By backdating the rise to the beginning of December, the federation claims, the deal represents a 1.9 per cent rise and falls below the 2 per cent blanket pay policy introduced by the government for public sector workers.

A police spokeswoman said the officers taking part in the march have booked the time off work in advance and would be marching in non police clothing. She said: "There will be no interruptions to normal police service as a result of the march and no reductions in our service to the communities of West Mercia."