Metropolitan Police staff to strike on New Year’s Eve as union warns possible 'delays to emergency callouts'
Lasting 25 hours from 6am on New Year's Eve, it will affect one of the busiest days of the year
Metropolitan Police staff will go on strike during one of the busiest days of the year, trade union Unite has said.
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Unite members from the force will walk out on New Year's Eve in a dispute over pay which may mean "delays to emergency callouts".
The union said 175 workers from the Met's central command including call handlers, office staff, fleet service and technicians will take part in the strike.
Lasting 25 hours from 6am on New Year's Eve, it will affect one of the busiest days of the year as hundreds of thousands of people are expected to join new year celebrations across the capital.
In a statement, Unite said: "As a significant night in policing, strike action will be very disruptive including causing delays to emergency callouts."
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Unite said affected staff have not had a pay increase for 2025/6 although police officers at the Met and across the UK had received a rise of 4.2%.
The union said the Met had put forward two provisional offers - 3.8% or 4.2% - which it said was "conditional on workers accepting vastly inferior conditions".
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It is unacceptable that our members in the Met are the only workers in UK police forces that have not yet had their pay rise.
"It is a disgrace that the Met has dangled the carrot of a pay rise but is also offering the stick of attacks on workers' terms and conditions.
"Unite won't allow our members' conditions to worsen and the workers have the union's full support throughout this dispute."
Unite regional officer Keith Henderson said: "We know Londoners will be concerned to hear of strikes on New Year's Eve, but our members at the Met feel they have no choice but to strike in their fight for a fair pay rise.
"They are being financially penalised by their employer for poor management decisions and cuts that were not their fault.
"The Met has a chance to stop this industrial action, but that relies on it coming back and offering staff the fair pay rise they deserve in line with all the other forces in the country and without changes to terms and conditions."
The Metropolitan Police have been approached for comment.