I am on shift now with 3 long serving policemen. They are furious with the government, but they all doubt that they would strike. They will however vote yes for the 'right to strike' and would take part in a work in accordance with the rules. At the minute, police in our force reluctantly accept illegal (yes, illegal!) working directives. ALL leave and rest days are cancelled over Halloween period, every year. New Year and many other times are compulsary also. In other words, if you are a Merseyside cop, you will never get those days off, ever. Happy New Year!! The management regularly (weekly) tell the support group to do compulsary overtime (ok, it is well paid), meaning if you have something booked, the ticket is lost and your partner grows more angry. When the prison officers went on strike recently, the bobbies were told their 10 hour shift had become a 20 hour shift, no notice. People grumbled, but they got on with it because they accept that they do as they are told. When the penny-pinching treasury took away this pay, this insensed rank and file. The average actual amount involved per officer is just over £40 a month, therefore a TOTAL of approx £130. Thats it...... 130 measly quid. The reason all this is blowing up is purely down to the PRINCIPLE. This government will regret many things when they lose the next election, this is another straw on the camels back. How many more to go??