McNulty warns on police strike bid

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Leaders of rank-and-file officers in England and Wales have warned that they could ballot their members on whether they should seek an end to the legal ban on industrial action by the police.

A meeting of 800 to 1,000 officers from all ranks will take place this week in Westminster to decide their next moves in their increasingly bitter pay dispute with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

However, Police Minister Tony McNulty insisted that industrial action had no place in the police culture.

"Striking is not part of the prevailing culture in the police force and hasn't been for a very long time," he told BBC Radio 4's PM programme.

"They know that ensuring public safety and national security are key priorities for every single member of the policing family, as well as for the Government, and that is why they can't take strike action."

A decision to ballot members could potentially result in a vote in favour of re-negotiating police officers' working rights.

Police Federation chairman Jan Berry said: "I think we are definitely going to have to ballot people. There is so much anger and frustration out there at the moment. People who once would have sat back are now saying 'enough is enough'."

The Home Secretary announced last week that officers in England and Wales would receive a 2.5% increase - but said it would be implemented from December 1 rather than September 1 as expected.

The Police Federation, which represents frontline officers, pointed out this in fact represented a pay rise of just 1.9% and threatened legal action.