Over 6,000 personnel from the Metropolitan Police are set to engage in industrial action due to a disagreement over pay.

Staff members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at the Met will initiate a walkout after their request for a £1,250 London allowance—similar to what police officers receive—was denied.

Fran Heathcote, general secretary of PCS, stated, “Our members within the Met Police have reached their limit; they can no longer be regarded as an afterthought. Their near-unanimous vote in favor of strike action conveys a powerful message.”

The police department has been contacted for a statement, but previously indicated that compensation and allowances for officers and staff are “entirely distinct,” reflecting the “fundamental differences in roles, responsibilities, and expectations.”

Ms. Heathcote further remarked, “Police staff will no longer accept being regarded as second-class citizens in their own workplaces; they are prepared to take action until they receive the £1,250 allowance that their colleagues enjoy.”

In February, over 300 staff members staged a walkout due to issues surrounding hybrid working arrangements.

While civilian staff are permitted to strike, police officers across the UK remain prohibited from such actions under the Police Act of 1996, a restriction that has been in place since 1919.