British police vote for right to strike

BOURNEMOUTH, England, May 21 (UPI) -- Almost nine out of 10 British police officers participating in a national ballot said they want the Police Federation to have "full industrial rights."

Jan Berry, the federation chairwoman, announced the result Tuesday at the annual conference in Bournemouth, The Times of London reported. She said 86 percent of the votes were in favor of industrial rights.

While Berry suggested the vote was not in favor of the right to strike, more militant members of the federation said it was.

In January, 23,000 officers protested Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's decision to limit a pay increase to 1.9 percent after promising 2.5 percent.

Smith is to appear at the conference Wednesday. Federation leaders appealed for her to be treated in an "honorable and respectful manner."