EVER SINCE the Police Association of Cyprus (SAK) started acting like a trade union, publicly protesting against the introduction of the eight-hour shift, staging marches and issuing ultimatums to the chief, it was obvious that things could only get worse. This column repeatedly warned that allowing SAK to register as a union would only cause big problems to the operation of the force, but apart from the Chief of Police, who took firm stand, nobody else the saw dangers.
Yet the self-styled leader of the Association, Andreas Symeou, a regular guest of the morning radio shows spoke as arrogantly as any hardened union boss. He even announced that SAK would take legal action against the Chief challenging his decision to introduce the eight-hour shift. None of our populist politicians, who have no qualms about speaking out on the most trivial issues, felt the need to take a stand and tell Symeou he was out of order. A few weeks ago, SAK became a fully fledged union, under the umbrella of PASYDY, the public servants’ union.
It was therefore no surprise to hear Symeou announce on Tuesday that SAK’s presidium would propose to members of the Association not to police football matches. Some 30 officers had been injured during violence at games recently, said Symeou who also accused the government of not paying them overtime pay owed for last year. Now that they have organised themselves into a union, policemen feel they can run the force, which would be consistent with the accepted practice in our society.
Under the Christofias presidency, union bosses have been shaping government policy. PASYDY together with SEK and PEO have dictated the measures for reducing the budget deficit; teaching unions have vetoed reform of the state pension scheme and blocked changes to the curriculum; Electricity Authority unions have forged our energy policy. For consistency’s sake the police union should be allowed to dictate the security measures at football matches. If we are to treat everyone equally, it should not have less power than other unions.
Our society gave its approval to a unionised police force and should not complain when the SAK leaders behave like any arrogant union bosses. At least the chief, who has been fighting SAK on his own, refuses to be intimidated. His spokesman made it clear that refusal of officers to police matches would constitute a breach of discipline verging on mutiny. This led Symeou to retreat, admitting that the decision about the matches had been rash, but the matter was not closed as his members could still vote in favour of not policing matches.
This is just the start. Unless society, led by the politicians, takes a stand against a unionised police force, it will be only a matter of time before we have our first 24-hour police strike.
