Download - West Midlands Police Federation

West Midlands officers
want Fed to campaign
for right to strike
Amajority of members who voted
in the national ballot want the
Police Federation of England and
Wales (PFEW) to campaign for
industrial rights.
In the West Midlands, 4,376 officers
registered to vote out of a possible 7,651
(45 per cent). And, of the officers who
registered, 3,499 of them actually voted
with 87.45 per cent voting in favour of
PFEW campaigning for industrial rights.
Just 12.55 per cent voted ‘no’.
But, PFEW’s Joint Central Committee
said it could only launch a campaign if
more than half of its total membership of
133,108 voted in favour. And not even half
(56,333) took part in the online poll –
though 45,651 (81 per cent) did support
seeking industrial rights.
Steve Williams, national Federation
chairman, said: “A significant proportion of
our membership has indicated that they
want the right to take industrial action.
This highlights the pressures currently felt
by rank and file officers throughout
England and Wales.
“However, it would not be appropriate
to undertake a course of action that could
potentially change the employment status
of more than 133,000 police officers if
fewer than half of those officers have voted
for us to do so.
“Our members value their unique
employment status as servants of the crown
(the Office of Constable), and I believe the
vast majority of them would view industrial
action as a last resort.
“However, the significant number that
voted in favour of the right to take
industrial action have done so in response
to the reforms and changes to policing
which are being proposed and implemented
by the Government, and the impact those
changes are having on officers’ ability to do
their jobs and on their morale.
“We have a duty to take these views
into consideration and will now discuss
them within our Central Committee. I
would like to take this opportunity to
thank every officer who voted for playing
their part in the process.”
Officers from all Federated ranks
(police constable to chief inspector) had the
opportunity to take part in the online ballot
which ran throughout February.
They were asked the question: “Do you
wish for PFEW to seek the right for the
police officers to take industrial action”
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