Met Police strikes called off after staff accept improved pay deal
Met Police strikes called off after workers secure backdated pay rise and £900 payment.
Planned strike action at the Metropolitan Police has been called off after workers voted to accept an improved pay offer.
More than 170 Unite members working in the Met’s call centres and fleet services were due to walk out between 19 and 24 January in a dispute over pay. The action was paused to allow staff to vote on a revised offer from the force, following earlier strikes on New Year’s Eve.
The dispute arose after police officers across England and Wales received a 4.2 per cent pay rise, alongside police staff in other forces. Unite members working for the Met, however, were initially offered the same increase only in exchange for changes to their terms and conditions, a move the union said would be “drastic and detrimental”.
Following negotiations, workers will now receive the full 4.2 per cent pay rise in line with other police forces, backdated to 1 August 2025, with no changes to their existing terms and conditions. They will also receive a one-off £900 payment to help with the cost of living and working in London.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the result showed the value of collective action.
She said: “Unite takes a no-tolerance approach to attacks on our members’ terms and conditions and this win shows why it pays to be a member of our union. By standing together, our members at the Met have protected their pay and conditions and they should be congratulated for this important win.”
Unite regional officer Keith Henderson added that the threat of strike action had highlighted the vital role police staff play in keeping London safe.
He said: “Strike action showed how important police staff are to the operations of the Met and that they deserved a fair pay rise. Thankfully, the Met listened, and our members can now celebrate this important pay deal.”