Vultures circling over Police Staff

Metropolitan Police proposals to transfer 500 'business services' staff in human resources, payroll and procurement to a new company Shared Services Connected Ltd, (75% owned by French multinational Sopra Steria and 25% owned by the UK government) could lead to 'the mass privatisation of civilian staff employed by police forces across England' according to a Tribune report by David Hencke:
http://www.tribunemagazine.org/2015/01/police-staff-for-sale-after-may/

Frosty reception for Tory Minister at UNISON Police & Justice Conference

#pjconf2013 Last month the Con Dem Government put 70% of probation services out to competitive tender,thus guaranteeing a frosty reception for Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Damian Green MP when he addressed UNISON’s police and justice service group conference in Brighton yesterday. Green angered delegates by defending profit making in public services as ‘not a bad thing’ and by snubbing probation staff at the sharp end of Con Dem privatisation. However privatisation is not the only threat to the job security of police staff. UNISON is raising concerns about the removal of safeguards as growing numbers of staff face transfers from the police service to local authorities:
http://www.policeoracle.com/news/HR%2C+Personnel+and+Staff+Development/2013/Oct/10/Staff-transfers-Loophole-could-lead-to-unscrupulous-decisions_72180.html

The ‘Second Job’ Propaganda Trick

In a contribution to the Tory Plebgate fightback, the Mail on Sunday is runnng an article on the 'scandal of 23,000 police who have two jobs.' In doing so the newspaper is recycling its despicable attacks on firefighters during the 2002 national FBU pay dispute and more recently in the 2010 London FBU shifts dispute. The real scandal of course is that so many public service workers are being forced to take part time second jobs (and third jobs in some cases) to make ends meet in an era of protracted public sector pay freeze, pay/tax credit cuts and an ever rising cost of living:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254716/Scandal-23-000-police-jobs-Officers-face-new-curbs-moonlighting-figure-soars-nearly-20-year.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Unions call on police chiefs to arrest employment rights slide - UnionNews

UNISON, Unite and GMB are calling on newly-elected police and crime commissioners and chief constables to sign up to a new ‘Police Staff Employment Charter’. In signing up to the charter, police and crime commissioners and chief constables would agree to prevent a two-tier workforce, by ensuring the same terms and conditions for staff, regardless of where they are employed.
http://union-news.co.uk/2012/11/unions-call-on-police-chiefs-to-arrest-employment-rights-slide/?doing_wp_cron=1353660992.8601770401000976562500

PCCs - 'making the best of a bad job'

UNISON members working in police services in England and Wales have a lot at stake in Thursday's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections. Imposed by the Con Dem coalition in the face of Labour opposition, PCCs will set the agenda on issues such as deployment of PCSOs, privatisation, shared services etc in a framework of 20% budget reductions (£1.5bn by 2014/15). With turnouts expected to be at an all time record low for a national election, it's important that UNISON branches mobilise votes for candidates pledged to support the union's campaign aganinst police privatisation:
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2012/11/police-and-crime-commissioner-elections-all-you-need-know
https://www.unison.org.uk/stoppoliceprivatisation/issues.asp

Risks of Privatisation - Lessons yet to be learned by Theresa May?

The 31st G8 summit was held on the 6-8 July 2005 at the Gleneagles Hotel Scotland. The perimeters of the site were guarded by a battalion of UK police officers drafted in for the special event from police forces across the UK. It left London and other UK cities with minimal cover for policing. Enter stage right the perfect opportunity for the tragic 7th July attacks on London.

Police Privatisation - Public say No Thanks!

Today’s FT reports that political and public opposition has forced the West Midlands and Surrey Police Forces to delay plans for a £1.5bn ‘partnership’ with private companies to provide police services. Surrey Chief Constable is reported to have said in an internal force message of a ‘need to calm the horses’. This is very welcome news for UNISON’s police membership and a fillip for the union’s newly launched campaign to stop police privatisation: http://www.unison.org.uk/stopPolicePrivatisation/

Police targeted by Public Services Industrial Complex

An alarming report in the Guardian exposes a plan by two of the UK's largest police forces to massively escalate privatisation whereby private companies could 'take responsibility for investigating crimes, patrolling neighbourhoods and even detaining suspects.' http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/02/police-privatisation-security-firms-crime?mobile-redirect=false