City Hall policing office staff to strike over pay

Staff from the mayor of London's policing office are set to go on strike for three days in a row over pay.

The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) employees who are members of the PCS union will walk out on 24, 25 and 26 February after 90% voted in favour of the action.

The union said they were angry about a 2% pay award for 2025–26, which amounted to a real‑terms cut and the lowest pay increase across the Greater London Authority (GLA) group.

A spokesperson for MOPAC said the group was "committed to maintaining competitive pay terms", but "this must be balanced with our responsibility to be prudent with Londoners' money".

The PCS said other GLA organisations had received higher pay increases, including 4.2% for the Metropolitan Police, 3.2% for London Assembly staff and 2.5% for core GLA City Hall staff.

Union officials said the "imposed 2% pay award" had created a "two-tier pay system" that left MOPAC staff at the bottom, which was unfair given the central role the workforce plays in policing oversight and public safety.

Staff at MOPAC scrutinise the Metropolitan Police, develop policy on violence against women and girls, commission victim services and shape community safety strategies.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: "No one wants safer streets in London more than the workers who dedicate themselves to achieving them, but they need to feel valued and have their own financial security.

"Undervaluing our members undermines the very systems designed to keep Londoners safe.

"Strike action is always a last resort, but our members are prepared to stand strong for the fair pay they deserve."

MOPAC said the 2% pay increase had been made "during a time of significant financial pressure requiring cuts to our workforce and our spending", and had followed six months of negotiations with the PCS union.

It added it would continue discussions with PCS members to try and resolve the dispute.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk