Met Police staff to strike on Bonfire Night

Forensic staff are among the civilian workers due to walk out

Civilian staff in the Met Police are due to take strike action on 5 November - one of the busiest days of the year for the force - the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) has said.

Members of the union include 999 call handlers, detention officers and police community support officers, as well as people working in vetting, intelligence, forensics, counterterrorism and HR.

The action is expected to lead to police officers being redeployed at a higher cost to the taxpayer.

The walkout is because the staff were refused a London allowance by management.

'Two-tier workforce'

Officers in the force receive an allowance of £1,250 that is unavailable for police staff.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: "Rent, mortgage repayments, food prices and energy bills have been rising for everyone in London – so why does the Met treat its civilian staff differently to officers?

"Removing police officers from front-line duties is both negligent and careless. The Met has deliberately ignored our practical solutions, aware that its continued commitment to a two-tier workforce would lead to strikes."

A spokesperson for the Met said that while they "genuinely value officers and staff equally", pay and allowances are different to reflect the differences in roles, responsibilities and expectations.

"In a shrinking Met with a £260m budget gap, we cannot justify spending millions to give staff the £1,250 award, as there are not the same recruitment and retention challenges.

"We've made a reasonable alternative offer to the trade unions to settle the dispute and remain open to finding a solution.

"We are stepping up our plans to minimise any impact on Londoners and continue to serve the public - the foremost duty of all our officers and staff."