{{Unreferenced, date=June 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) The Police Act 1919 (9 & 10 Geo. 5, c.46) was an

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

which set up an alternative dispute resolution system within

UK labour law United Kingdom labour law regulates the relations between workers, employers and trade unions. People at work in the UK can rely upon a minimum charter of employment rights, which are found in Acts of Parliament, Regulations, common law and equit ...

for collective disputes involving members of staff in the police force. The current rules are now found under the

Police Act 1996 The Police Act 1996c 16 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which defined the current police areas in England and Wales, constituted police authorities for those areas, and set out the relationship between the Home Secretary and t ...

. Following the

British police strikes in 1918 and 1919 British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

, the government decided that it was a threat to the public to allow strikes among the police force to take place. The Police Act 1919 prohibited police from joining a trade union that could take strike action protected by the

Trade Disputes Act 1906 The Trade Disputes Act 1906 (6 Edw. 7 c. 47) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed under the Liberal government of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. The Act declared that unions could not be sued for damages incurred during a ...

, and provided an alternative in the Police Federation of England and Wales. A substitute for strikes was binding arbitration to resolve collective disputes.

See also