Euro MPs address issue of our police

Chairman of the socialist bloc in the European Parliament Martin Schulz at the prompting of Slovak Smer party MEPs Monika Benova, Milos Koterec and Vladimir Manka - has tabled a motion for MEPs to request that the European Commission look into the dispute between the Slovak Government and police officers. According to Schulz, the European Commission should, among other things, decide whether Litva's dismissal violated the rights of EU citizens to form associations and take part in trade union negotiations. Miroslav Litva was sacked from the Police Union by Interior Minister Vladimir Palko after the October police demonstration. Schulz also wants the Commission to examine the Slovak Government's decision several months ago to bring police officers under the jurisdiction of military courts.

Miroslav Litva is claiming that interior ministry inspectors have questioned a police officer who was carrying a controversial banner at October's demonstration. The banner read: "If the state won't pay us, the Mafia will". Litva told the daily that the inspectors asked the police officer in question to explain the banner. He claims that this can be considered as intimidation. However Interior Minister Vladimir Palko declares that he sacked Litva from his post for giving false information about police salaries to union members at the protest. The police union has called another demonstration against pay and conditions that will take place in Bratislava on Saturday.

Representatives of the European Confederation of Police Officers - EuroCOP will also hold a conference in Bratislava on Saturday that will deal with a perceived collapse of dialogue between the Slovak Interior Ministry and police trade unions. EuroCOP president Heinz Kiefer suggested that Palko is obviously determined to reintroduce authoritative methods in Slovakia. The Slovak Trade Union Confederation supports the Saturday rally and its members will take part in the protest. However protest organizers fear that minister Palko may thwart the protest as he announced a national traffic safety campaign for Friday that ends at midnight and continues on Saturday.