Staff members of the Metropolitan Police are set to stage another six days of walkouts this month as part of their ongoing protest for better wages.
The upcoming strike will involve 175 personnel from the Unite union, which includes call handlers who document crime reports, as well as technicians and administrative workers who support the management and deployment of police vehicles.
The union, Unite, stated that Metropolitan Police staff have been presented with a “subpar pay increase” in contrast to the 4.2% raise that other personnel and officers across UK police forces have received.
According to the Met, in light of its “declining” organization facing a £260 million budget shortfall, it cannot justify spending millions on a £1,250 compensation since these staff members do not encounter the same recruitment and retention challenges as police officers.
The strike is set for January 19 through 24, following a previous walkout on New Year’s Eve, which Unite reported “resulted in significant disruptions, including delays in emergency response calls.”
Unite’s regional officer, Keith Henderson, characterized the inaugural strike on New Year’s Eve, which commenced at 6:00 AM on December 31 and lasted for 25 hours, as “immensely successful and disruptive.”
However, the Metropolitan Police asserted that “there was no major disruption to any of our public services as a consequence of the initial New Year’s Eve strike” thanks to “thorough contingency planning.”
The Met further indicated that it would strive to alleviate negative impacts by filling essential staff roles with officers, but noted that “a lack of resources in areas such as our 999 call centers and custody suites could endanger the public.”
The union also pointed out that staff had received an “inferior pay increase proposal for 2025-26,” even as Met police officers benefited from a 4.2% raise in September 2025.
Unite emphasized that across the UK, both officers and staff obtained the 4.2% increase without any modifications to their contracts.
Union members have turned down two preliminary offers, which include one that proposes a below-RPI increase of 3.8% and another 4.2% offer, which it claims would require workers to forgo their existing terms and conditions.
The Metropolitan Police disputes this claim, asserting that it has only requested “modernization” of certain terms and conditions to ensure consistency and fairness across the organization.
Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, remarked: “It is utterly unacceptable that our members at the Met are the only police staff in the UK who have not seen a pay increase.
“It is unethical to suggest that in order to receive a comparable raise to their peers elsewhere, they must agree to inferior conditions.”
A spokesperson for the Met Police added: “While we truly value officers and staff equally, compensation and allowances are entirely different, reflecting the essential disparities in roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
“We have put forth a fair alternative proposal to the trade unions in hopes of resolving the dispute and are committed to reaching a solution.”
