MOPAC staff to strike over pay dispute
Staff working for the Mayor of London’s policing office will walk out for three consecutive days later this month after voting overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over pay. The stoppage, scheduled for 24, 25 and 26 February, follows what union members describe as a real-terms pay cut at a time of mounting financial pressure across public bodies.
Employees at the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime who belong to the PCS union backed the action by 90 per cent, in protest at a 2 per cent pay award for 2025–26. The union says the increase is the lowest across the Greater London Authority group and leaves staff comparatively worse off than colleagues in related organisations.
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Read the full reportPCS officials argue the award has created a two-tier pay structure within the GLA family. They point to pay rises of 4.2 per cent for Metropolitan Police officers, 3.2 per cent for London Assembly staff and 2.5 per cent for core City Hall employees.
MOPAC staff are responsible for scrutinising the Metropolitan Police, shaping policy on violence against women and girls, commissioning victim support services and overseeing community safety strategy. Union leaders say those responsibilities warrant pay terms in line with comparable roles elsewhere in the GLA structure.
Fran Heathcote, general secretary of PCS, said strike action had been taken as a last resort. She said staff dedicated to improving safety in London needed to feel financially secure themselves.
A spokesperson for MOPAC said the organisation remained committed to competitive pay but had to balance that with careful use of public funds. The 2 per cent award, they said, had been agreed during a period of significant financial constraint and followed six months of negotiation with the union.
Talks are expected to continue in the coming weeks as both sides seek to resolve the dispute before the planned walkout.
EyeOnLondon continues to report on policing oversight, City Hall accountability and public sector governance across the capital.
[Image Credit | Darc Awards]
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