British police to join anti-austerity protest

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British police to join anti-austerity protest

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20,000 off-duty cops marching through London can embarrass Cameron.

10 May,2012 08:11 pm

Thousands of British police officers planned to join striking border officials and healthcare workers on Thursday in a protest against wage caps, pension reforms and other austerity measures.Unions predicted some 400,000 public sector workers would walk out, a smaller protest than in November when Britain saw the biggest strike in years, but a significant show of public discontent just after Prime Minister David Camerons government took a drubbing at local elections.The rare sight of some 20,000 off-duty police officers marching through London will be particularly embarrassing for Cameron, whose centre-right Conservatives pride themselves on being the party of law and order.Prime Minister, actions speak louder than words, the Police Federation union said in full-page adverts published in several national newspapers on Thursday.Police officers feel strongly that the government cutting the police budget by 20 percent, privatising core policing roles and pushing ahead with its ill-considered police reforms could jeopardise public safety, the union said.The Conservatives and their junior Liberal Democrat partners have vowed to press ahead with unpopular austerity plans despite both parties suffering badly in local council elections last week amid discontent that the country had fallen back into recession after two years of deep spending cuts.Public hostility to austerity has hit governments across the European Union, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy ousted by Socialist Francois Hollande who promised a gentler approach on debt reduction, and Greece in political crisis after voters deserted the main parties.(Finance minister) George Osbornes austerity plans are beginning to sicken everyone, said Gail Cartmail, assistant general secretary of Britains largest union, Unite.Nick Herbert, the minister in charge of policing, defended the governments actions.Its very important that tough decisions are taken to deal with the deficit and the police service, police officers, Im afraid, cant be exempted from that. I really dont think that would be fair, Herbert told Sky News.Police officers have been legally barred from taking industrial action since the 1990s.The Police Federation, which represents 135,000 low ranking officers in England and Wales, said Thursdays action could be larger than the biggest police protest staged in Britain, in 2008, over a pay row with the then Labour government.Were at the lowest ebb I can ever remember, Paul McKeever, the federations chairman, told Reuters.Cuts to police budgets and a government-commissioned report that recommended allowing officers to be sacked, pay cuts for some and raising the pension age, have all caused disquiet.Were not against change, McKeever said. What were against is ill-informed change based on ideology which is going to damage the service, damage officers and most importantly damage the public as well.On Wednesday, the government announced it was pressing ahead with proposals to overhaul public sector pensions. Those plans prompted one of the most widespread strikes ever seen in Britain last year.Thursdays strike will include teachers, healthcare workers and lecturers as well as members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union which represents the likes of tax officials and immigration staff at airports.BAA, the owner of Londons Heathrow, Europes busiest airport, said it did not envisage significant disruption but said there might be some delays.It is very disappointing that a minority of unions insist on carrying on with futile and disruptive strike action which will benefit no one, said Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude. Pension talks will not be reopened and members are risking losing a days pay for nothing.Thursdays protest is unlikely to be the end of the action. Len McCluskey, Unites general secretary, has already warned that public spending cuts justified action during Londons Olympic Games which start in July.