Newsletter - September 2003
The Dispute
Prior to the 1st April 2003 a number of meetings took place with the Employee Relations department of the Force regarding the implementation of the Reform Package. We were not made aware of the Force plan to withhold its payment until shortly before its implementation date. The Force stated that it was withholding payment until the Federation had successfully negotiated the following changes to conditions of service :-
Force Proposals
Redundancy and Resettlement :- removal of main protections
Dog Handlers Allowance :- Removal and replaced by P.N.B. allowance.
Working day :- Definition altered.
The Force believe that these conditions should be brought into line with Police Regulations. As a Federation we recognize that if either side, official or staff agenda items for negotiation then we are obliged to enter into discussions. We informed the Chief Constable and Employee Relations Department that we were willing to enter into properly constituted negotiations into these three items but viewed the withholding of the Police Reform Package until the successful conclusions of negotiations as unjust and totally immoral. The Force refused to change their stance.
Legal advice was urgently sought to attempt to find a legal solution to withholding of pay. The advice received from specialist employment barristers indicated we would have to exhaust our Machinery of Negotiation prior to commencing Judicial Review Proceedings.
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