Yesterday saw hundreds of thousands of public sector workers go on strike, from teachers to immigration staff at Heathrow. While there is disagreement between the unions and the Government over the exact number of workers on strike, with the unions arguing that 400,000 workers were on strike and the Government arguing that only 160,000 were on strike, the police demonstrations against Government reforms have caught everyone’s attention.
It is estimated that 30,000 police offers joined a police demonstration against the Government’s plans to overhaul the service. The significance of the demonstration was marked by the fact that members of the police are banned from striking and members had to take rest days or annual leave to travel to London.
Clive Chamberlain, chairman of the Dorset Police Federation said: “When the cuts really start to bite, after the Olympics and police start disappearing from communities, then the public will notice the difference”.
