Nearly 6,500 Metropolitan Police civilian staff, including crucial 999 call handlers, forensic experts, and counter-terrorism teams, are set to strike on 5 November. The walkout, organised by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, is over a bitter pay dispute.

Pay Fight Over London Allowance

The union is furious after police officers received a £1,250 London weighting allowance but civilian staff were ignored. Those walking out include detention officers, police community support officers, intelligence analysts, vetting staff, and administrative workers in finance and HR.

PCS union said staff have “had enough of being treated as second-class workers”.

Strike Hits One of Busiest Nights of the Year

Bonfire Night is one of the busiest for emergency services. The Met will be forced to redeploy thousands of officers to cover essential roles. This also means a hefty overtime bill looms for the force.

The strike shines a harsh light on how civilian police staff feel overlooked compared to their uniformed counterparts, putting extra pressure on the Met during a critical night.