Louise Nousratpour in Millbank
Wednesday January 23, 2008
The Morning Star
TENS of thousands of angry police officers marched through London on Wednesday in a historic day of action against Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's stingy below-inflation pay offer.
Nearly 25,000 officers from England, Wales and Northern Ireland took part in the unprecedented event, which was organised by the Police Federation.
The silent sea of protesters, bearing the slogan Fair Pay for Police, set off from Park Lane and snaked their way through Westminster and Whitehall to Millbank.
Unlike other demonstrations, where a heavy-handed police approach is common, there were only 150 Met officers policing the event, with some 50 of them assigned to circle a small group of counter-protesters.
Officers are angry at Ms Smith's decision to backdate their 2.5 per cent pay award to December instead of September, reducing it to just 1.9 per cent.
Protester Martin Renschaw condemned the government's "underhand" approach and warned: "You will pay for this at the next general election."
His message to Ms Smith was "give us what we were promised. Enough is enough."
Fellow protester PC John Hughes, from Stoke Newington Police Station in east London, said: "It's not in our nature to take industrial action. But, if this kind of treatment continues, I'm sure many will consider taking action."
After the march, thousands packed into the Central Hall to hear speeches from Police Federation chairwoman Jan Berry and supporting MPs.
To rapturous applause, she accused Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Ms Smith of breaking their word over police pay and warned that industrial action remained a real option if their demands were not met.
Ms Berry also revealed that the federation has filed for a judicial review against the Home Secretary's decision and called for her power to ignore the decision of the arbitration panel to be removed.
Mr Brown was forced to defend the decision to stage the police pay award in the Commons, repeating his claim that it was necessary to "fight inflation."
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber sent a message of "solidarity and support" to the marchers, accusing the government of making a "disastrous mistake."
And Prison Officers Association national chairman Colin Moses, whose members have faced similar attacks on their pay award, said: "The unwarranted attack on uniform and public servants is a shameful example of a government that is out of touch.
"Fairness in public-sector pay should not end in the doors of the House of Commons. Fairness should be given to all public servants."
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