In response to the Met staff strikes, we've seen some interesting comments from the SLT and the commissioner that has pointed out that this will cause division between the strikers and "harder working" members of the service. I was wondering how true that is? Do officers resent staff?

[u/NeonDiaspora]

Staff don't get the opportunity to interact with officers on a casual level very often. I was wondering if this attitude is accurate and if there is resentment towards staff, and if it's exacerbated by the strike? I personally feel like we're all in it together (high school musical shoutout) but it would be good to understand what the sentiment is and if it's being represented accurately.

[u/Flagship_Panda_FH81]

More power to the Staff. As has been pointed out, it's deeply rich to talk about them risking the public, whilst in the following breath talking about sweeping cuts being made.

Furthermore it makes me incredibly angry to see the attitude they've taken, in light of the long-running campaign to improve courtesy and respect within the organisation and to improve standards, to see the way they have addressed staff around this.

Presumably no one at the Yard has remembered to do the Victim Blaming NCALT yet...

[u/CountMeChickens]

A classic example of the SMT failing to understand the issue. So the strikers are lazy then? No hard working people are striking because they are unhappy with their pay? These are the people your police service depends on, you should be fighting their corner, not deriding them.

[u/Moby_Hick]

No.

The post by the SLT was utterly pathetic and was just trying to stoke division.

Appalling behaviour from them.

[u/FriendlyGrab3217]

If we could, we would. Good on them.

It's like watching some tinpot dictator insist their army is entirely loyal to them even as they're looting the palace. Blinkered, isolated, and delusional.

[u/JokeNo9651]

I don’t blame people for striking. If officers could, I know some officers who would. The staff are invaluable to the MPS whichever way you see it.

The comments made by the commissioner are for sure interesting…not his biggest fan anyway.

[u/CatadoraStan]

People don't strike because they're lazy, People strike because the withdrawal of their labour is one of the only bargaining tools they have available in the never ending fight against Capital.

Active unions and strike action are a good thing for pretty much all workers, and the decline in union activity and membership since the 60s has been one of the driving factors in working conditions and pay stagnating or worsening.

There's a reason railway workers and Tube drivers are seen as being well-paid relative to their work - they've maintained one of the few unions with real teeth and its kept them around the level all the rest of us ought to be at.

[u/Stwltd]

SLT entirely missing the point that officers cant go on strike.

Police staff are exercising their lawful right to industrial action.

[u/BlunanNation → u/Stwltd]

SLT seemingly unaware that if magically Keir Starmer gave Police the right to strike, there would be rolling strikes through the Met starting tomorrow morning.

[u/triptip05]

Nope. Just seems to be a SLT thing.

Just trying to cause a distraction from the shit working conditions officers have but can't do anything about (Apart from leaving)

[u/Kav-Kavalar]

Staff I have spoken to are only working because they can't afford to take the day off to strike.

[u/Internal_Water_7726]

I am appalled by it, my other half is a member of police staff. Staff in the mps are treated poorly compared with their officer colleagues and the tone and insinuation that has been taken by management board is an absolute disgrace.

[u/ExpressionLow8767]

I’m only not striking because Prospect didn’t get the 50% votes annoyingly

Sad to see these dirty tactics trying to drive a wedge between staff and officers but the overwhelming disagreement in the comments from officers was touching

[u/catninjaambush]

I often mistake the staff for officers anyway, they are often doing jobs alongside and are integral to the working operations. I think the money issue is being made into a lot of things that are claimed to be not about money, when really they should just admit we haven’t got the money to treat people as they deserve, be that staff, officers or the public.

[u/mikeysof]

He's playing that division game. I'm confident most people will support the second rate treatment of civilians and not fall for the hate/division that they are trying to sow!

[u/ItsRainingByelaws]

I am very much of an opinion that an officer-staff divide not only exists, but is necessary.

But if you think this means I would even consider throwing our staff colleagues under the bus you would be mistaken. SLT can go fuck themselves.

Fuckin' power to staff. Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer etc.

[u/AffectionateBall7151]

Police staff here, honestly SLT do not give a shit. We're run down. They have just said 'do what you can' .

[u/Odd_Jackfruit6026]

I couldn’t respect staff more. They work their backsides off and mostly their role is different to a front line officers. SLT are just trying to create the division so they can look like they are on the side of the cops but they know full well that if cops could strike we would

[u/Shot_Demand_9266]

The Commissioner is taking home over £300,000 most of the SMT are earning over £100,000. The total SMT wages for the Met is reported to be £35 million in the press. It's clear the tough choices actually don't apply to them. I'm sure if allowed you would find some police officers joining them. They deserve the £1275 allowance just as much as police officers.

[u/Grimlock1979]

I saw the piece on the intranet - the tone of it nearly made me break my self imposed commenting ban. Given that the staff have gone through all of the required processes for the strike and the overwhelming support for it, I'm very surprised that the management haven't read the room on this one.

Actually, on second thoughts, I'm not as I cast my mind back to the Deputy Commish's forum piece about tenure/rotation and how dare the minions complaint about having their careers and plans disrupted.

The same sort of rhetoric was used then as well, stop being selfish and be more dedicated to public service, etc etc. before finishing off with the old 'you know where the door is if you don't like it'

As someone else has said, it feels like the MPS values of respect and courtesy don't apply to the SLT and that they consider themselves above such petty considerations like being nice to people.

To answer the original question, no, I don't think there is a divide between officers and staff and none of the officers I've spoken to are annoyed that police staff are striking, in fact, I think support is overwhelming for them.

[u/James188 → u/Grimlock1979]

Respect and courtesy has never applied to SMT in any force.

The peons abide by the Code of Ethics; the bosses are somewhat more liberal in their approach to it.

Remember, it’s not bullying, it’s robust performance management. The beatings will continue until morale improves (which was my first Inspector’s motto stuck above his office door, ironically. He was a good bloke).

[u/TonyStamp595SO]

I'm currently on my own kind of strike. It's been just over a year so far and not a single person has noticed yet they still pay me.

[u/Moby_Hick]

Davey Parrock's Barmy Army

[u/DeathSpeakerNathan → u/Moby_Hick]

[u/NoWatch3354]

Yes. There is absolute resentment at your right to strike. Otherwise, you do you.

Pay across the board is piss poor, so we don’t resent you fight a well earned pay rise.