West Midlands Police officers in momentous talks to ballot for strike action despite ban

Chair of the West Midlands Police Federation, Richard Cooke, said a national ballot was not only "overdue", but "must happen immediately" to address the "anger and frustration" of officers over working conditions.

The ballot would ask current members of the Police Federation whether or not they would want to seek strike action, and is not a vote on imminent industrial action.

According to Sergeant Cooke, the concerns behind this movement centre on pay deprivation and a discontent around the system which decides police wages.

The West Midlands Police Federation is the leading voice trying to instigate the ballot, which could have seismic repercussions for the police, for whom it is currently illegal to strike.

Speaking to the Express & Star, he said: "Having canvassed our members, I feel there is a huge need for the ballot - and I’m confident that most of the membership agrees with me.

"We are losing losing officers, experienced officers. There's been a 200 per cent increase in voluntary redundancies over the last 10 years.

"There's also been a 17 per cent reduction in pay since 2000, which is worse compared to other public sector professions.

"Australian police get more rewarding packages. It's why we're losing experienced officers. It's happening up and down the country."

Sergeant Cooke himself voted no in a ballot concerning strike action a decade ago, which he says proves how seriously officers are being hit by the current climate.

Branch secretary of the West Midlands Police Federation Tim Rogers, added: “This comes from decades of pay deprivation felt by police officers.

“For years our rights have differed from those within other public service roles and it is not acceptable anymore.

"Why do they have these rights and we don’t? Surely there should be some sort of consistency."

He went on to say: "There are a range of strategic matters that we would seek to have implemented through this piece of work, we need a fair and enforceable pay mechanism, something that has been sadly lacking.

“Police officers hold a unique position which is why Police Regulations exist. That said this unique position should not allow the Government to simply ignore the evidence on how Police Pay has been allowed to fall behind so far."

Sergeant Cooke blames the pay deterioration on a change to the consultation system for police wages, which used to involve police officers in discussions with the government during a process of collective bargaining.

"We could sit around the table with the government to negotiate our own pay on a yearly basis. If there was no agreement, it went to pay arbitration," he said.

However, the federation chair says this system was eroded over time, starting with acrimonious pay disputes in 2008 with the Home Secretary at the time, Jacqui Smith.

Jan Berry, the police federation's chair at the time, accused the former Labour Home Secretary of "betraying the police service" by refusing to backdate a 2.5 per cent pay rise.

"That was the start of it," Sergeant Cooke said, "then David Cameron and Theresa May removed our rights to collective bargaining and arbitration."

Currently, police pay is decided by the Police Remuneration Review Body, an independent body that makes officer pay recommendations to the government, with members appointed by the government.

Explaining his cause for concern, Sergeant Cooke said: "Pay is worse than what it was 10 to 15 years ago, our pensions were slashed in 2015, and members are demanding we take action.

"We have no ability to negotiate our pay and no recourse for arbitration. There's real discontent with the current set-up."

Officers used to be compensated with the 'P-Factor', an element of police pay that reflects the unique obligations and responsibilities police officers experience, including their inability to strike.

However, Sergeant Cooke says this 'P-Factor' is now non-existent. “Our members need to know that we are pushing for the ballot to happen now, not in six months’ time," he said.

"We need action – and any unnecessary delays could mean a poor voter turn-out, and could lead to the whole exercise being undermined.

“And, while we’re not legally allowed to strike, I think the national ballot would be a clear demonstration of the anger and frustration being felt in the police service.

“Ultimately, it says once and for all that police officers are not happy, and we cannot go on like this anymore.”

Police officers in the UK have been prohibited from going on strike since 1919, in the wake of industrial action in London and Liverpool, and any police officers encouraging strike action from their colleagues could be arrested.

However, Sergeant Cooke believes officers should be able to embark on strike action while maintaining a critical level of working officers to ensure public safety.

This is reflected in the government's Strikes Bill, which plans to impose minimum service levels on certain industries during strike action, to ensure those in critical service roles can strike safely.

“If you’re saying that nurses can go on strike - not all of them, but a safe number - then why can’t the same be said for police officers?” Sergeant Cooke said.

Sylvia Pankhurst once famously said: "The London police on strike? After that, anything can happen."

But with proposals for a ballot to be held over strike action this summer, history could be repeating itself and bobbies might once again be off the beat.