STUC slams police control centre cuts

#stuc14 In almost the last throw of the dice on Wednesday afternoon, Congress backed an emergency motion from the Aberdeen Trade Union Council, condemning Police Scotland’s decision to close the Control Centres at Aberdeen, Dumfries, Stirling and Glenrothes, without consultation and with the loss of over 450 jobs. The STUC General Council will formally express its concern to Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.

Michelle Brady, of the Aberdeen Trade Union Council, and a member of UNISON's Police Staff's Branch, told Congress that local knowledge will be lost through these closures.

Seconding the motion, UNISON's George McIrvine said: " Since 2009, 2000 of our loyal, hard working police civilian staff from a workforce of 8000+ have left the service through either voluntary redundancy, early retirement or resigning disillusioned with the service.

"The reality is the majority of these posts are now being carried out by untrained police officers, perversely at a greater cost to the public purse.

"Our police staff members have had enough. They are suffering major job losses across the whole of the service with no end in sight, with attacks on service & conditions and deskilling of their roles on police Scotland's and the Scottish Police Authority's agenda whilst the justice secretary Kenny Macaskill turns a blind eye."

"UNISON has always campaigned for a balanced workforce of police staff and officers that provides an effective police service which is best value for the public purse.

"Congress, we are told we have now got a first class police service fit for the 21st century.
However you cant have first class policing by treating police staff as second class citizens."