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Monday 25 July 2005
Strike of police support staff nearer
A strike ballot of Scotland's police support staff will continue,
after a last-ditch meeting to try and resolve a pay dispute broke
up with no agreement last week.
UNISON , the union that represents Scotland's police staff indicated
that councils representing police employers had made no new offer
for the second meeting running.
The two-year offer of 2.95% this year and 2.5% next year is less
than councils have already agreed to pay their own staff.
"We are very disappointed at the intransigence displayed by the
politicians." Said Raymond Brown, Chair of the trade union negotiators.
"It is especially frustrating as we came to the meeting thinking
that Chief Constables wanted to resolve this issue. However that
will require employers to improve an offer that has already been
rejected. This offer would result in Scottish police support staff
falling even further behind their English and Welsh colleagues."
A ballot of UNISON members is scheduled to take place early next
month with action scheduled to begin later in August unless there
are further substantive approaches from employers. Other trade unions
in the negotiating panel are also believed to be recommending ballots.
Anne Russell UNISON Regional Organiser (Police) said. "Police support,
staff, who are crucial in providing effective policing in Scotland,
do not want to take industrial action. However neither will they
lie down and be treated unfairly compared with colleagues in England
and Wales, and other public sector workers in Scotland."
There are almost 4,000 police support staff in Scotland , delivering
professional, technical, administrative back up to police officers
in control rooms, forensic science labs, at scenes of crimes, and
in police stations.
ENDS
For Further Information Please Contact: Anne Russell (Regional
Officer) 07946 110 193(m) Raymond Brown (Chair TU negotiators) 07050
200 504(m) Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 0845 355 0845(w)
0771 558 3729(m)
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