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Watts - Police strike threat is real

St Helens MP Dave Watts

St Helens MP Dave Watts

DAVE Watts MP says he has received a number of letters from disillusioned local police officers about proposed changes to their pay, pensions and conditions of service.

The MP for St Helens North has since written to Home Secretary Theresa May following a police federation threat to ballot its members over whether they should be allowed to take industrial action.

Historically, police officers have always been banned from taking industrial action because of the potential impact it would have on crime and disorder.

But Mr Watts has accused the Government of using the country’s current economic problems as an excuse to reduce the conditions of service of millions of public sector workers.

He has also urged Theresa May to reopen negotiations with the police federation because of fears of the impact that strike action could have on public safety.

Mr Watts said: “It is clear that that the cuts to police numbers and community officers will increase the risk of crime and put at risk public safety and it is crucial at this time that we do not have police officers on the beat that are demoralised and ready to take industrial action to protect their conditions of service.”


 
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Weather for St Helens

Saturday 18 May 2013

5 day forecast

Today

Cloudy

Cloudy

Temperature: 7 C to 10 C

Wind Speed: 25 mph

Wind direction: West

Tomorrow

Sunny spells

Sunny spells

Temperature: 10 C to 16 C

Wind Speed: 15 mph

Wind direction: North west

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