Metropolitan Police call centre staff have begun a 25-hour strike on New Year’s Eve over a dispute about pay. The industrial action started at 06:00 GMT and involves around 175 Unite union members, including call handlers, technicians, and office staff who support the dispatch of police vehicles.
Unite said its members have not received a pay increase for 2025-26, despite police officers in the Met receiving a 4.2% rise, which aligns with increases across other UK forces. The union was quoted by the BBC saying that the Met had offered either a below-inflation 3.8% increase or a 4.2% rise contingent on staff accepting “vastly inferior conditions.”
The strike comes on one of the busiest days of the year for emergency services in London. Unite warned that the action could cause delays to emergency call-outs, particularly given that policing New Year’s Eve cost the Met almost £2.3 million last year.
A Met Police spokesperson said the force is prepared for the strike and does not expect disruption to normal service levels. They added that the majority of staff would still be working alongside police officers to ensure public safety.
Officers are deployed across all 32 London boroughs, with a significant presence in central areas including Westminster and the West End, which are expected to be particularly busy. Cdr Nick John, who is leading the New Year’s Eve operation, said planning begins many months in advance to manage one of the busiest nights of the year.
London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display is fully ticketed and sold out. The Met has warned that anyone attempting to access the area without a ticket or breaching security fencing could be arrested and prosecuted. Primrose Hill will be closed as a viewing location, and the public is advised to make alternative plans.
Cdr John added that officers would provide a reassuring presence, deter crime, and respond decisively to incidents. In a statement quoted by the BBC he urged people to “only call 999 in a genuine emergency” due to the expected high demand on call-handling teams.
