The chairman of the Isle of Man Police Federation has played down reports officers here were prepared to go on strike over pay increases.
Alan Jones says the Federation would merely have supported its colleagues in any bid for the right to take industrial action, which is currently against the law, if negotiations had broken down.
On Tuesday, it was announced the Manx force would receive a 2.5 per cent wage rise backdated to September 1, but in the UK it won't be backdated, effectively making it an increase of 1.9 per cent.
The threat of a walkout still looms large across the water, where the Government is refusing to back down and the body representing rank and file officers has decided to ballot them for their views.
Mr Jones believes even if they did gain the right to strike, it's unlikely it would ever be used (audio file attached):
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