I doubt if the public or media would accept a general strike by the police, no matter the justiification of their cause. Even if they had a controlled rolling strike, the first incident which endangered the public in any way would lose them all support. The government knows this and takes advantage of their difficult position.

 

I sympathise with their case - if they were awarded 2.5%, then that's what they should receive. If the government wants to stage the award, the total basic salary paid over the period covered by the claim should still be the same for each officer on a particular payscale, even if they have to have the difference in the form of additional bonus payments over a couple of months eg December/ January.

 

I support the right of the Scottish Executive to pay up without whimpering for key public service employees like nurses and police. Doesn't the Welsh Assembly have similar powers?

 

Sadly, if there was a devolved English parliament tomorrow, I'm pretty certain they'd do what they liked, no matter what the other 3 smaller Home Nations decided.

 

I absolutely deplore the feet dragging and miserliness of successive UK governments over many decades.

 

I think most people would blame the Govt more than the police actually... The public generally got behind the firemen and the nurses despite the gross media distortions and misinformation about those particular disputes, so I see no reason why the public in general wouldn't support the police...

I think most people would blame the Govt more than the police actually... The public generally got behind the firemen and the nurses despite the gross media distortions and misinformation about those particular disputes, so I see no reason why the public in general wouldn't support the police...

 

The police already have an image problem as it is though, something which the nurses and firemen didn't really. How many times do you read or hear people moaning about the lack of bobbies on the beat, or that the police are only interested in catching out motorists, or that they favour criminals over victims who fight back? I've got a feeling the public are going to be less receptive to any strike action by the police.

The police already have an image problem as it is though, something which the nurses and firemen didn't really. How many times do you read or hear people moaning about the lack of bobbies on the beat, or that the police are only interested in catching out motorists, or that they favour criminals over victims who fight back? I've got a feeling the public are going to be less receptive to any strike action by the police.

 

Exactly

 

Harrassment of motorists, arresting peace protesters, the Stephen Lawrence scandal, the f*** up over the dead Brazillian who was mistaken for a terrorist, plenty more instances of where the reputation of the police in this country is severely damaged so there is less sympathy for the police in the public than there is nurses who are universally liked in this country