Police workers will be balloted over industrial action

Unison Nottinghamshire Police members are to be balloted on industrial action.

Branch meetings held this week yielded overwhelming support for a ballot over the force's handling of civilian redundancies.

While Unison accepts there must be redundancies to help meet a £46m saving over the next four years, it says it says there is no compassion, dignity or respect and that it does not allow for meaningful consultation.

It says a re-engineering process is underway which is "decimating the workforce of some of its most valuable staff over and above the headcount reductions proposed."

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesman said: “A major programme of restructuring Nottinghamshire Police and re-engineering the policing services we offer is being driven by two imperatives: our goal to become the best performing force in the country by 2015, and the very challenging cuts in policing budgets over the next four years.

“Meeting these two challenges will not be achieved without reductions in overall numbers of staff, and nor can they be achieved without pain.

“Throughout, the force has sought to implement restructuring programmes in a way that treats staff with the greatest of respect, dignity and care, and in liaison with all staff associations including Unison. We will continue to approach this work with these principles at the heart of all we do.

“What will help staff as this major programme of restructuring continues is for them to take part in consultation with managers and to help shape the future."