The Police Association has written to the Prime Minister protesting that the police are being treated worse than anybody else in the issue over overdue payment for overtime.

In a two-page letter bearing yesterday's date and issued today, the association noted that according to the 1993 salaries and conditions of service of the police, policemen were to be paid overtime at a rate of 1.5 times their rate of pay when they worked in excess of 46 hours per week and when time off in lieu could not be given.

Three arbiters nominated by the governemnt itself had said that this document 'is sacrosanct and should be strictly adhered to'.

The association said that after having filed two judicial protests, talks were started with the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs with a view of achieving an out of court settlement.

However the minister and his officials were dragging their feet. They had not contributed anything to the talks and no meeting had been held since May, despite the association's requests.

The association said that should the minister not want to reach agreement, it would be better if his intention was made clear so that it could seek an alternative course of action.

However it deeply regretted the government's attitude, not least because the members of the police force were already under paid in relation to their duties and the risks which they entailed.

The association said it suspected that this attitude stemmed form the fact that policemen were not represented by a trade union and could not take the sort of actions which trade unions took. Should that be the case, this would amount to unacceptable abuse.

The association said policemen deserved better, and it therefore called on the prime minister to intervene in the matter.

The letter was signed by legal adviser Robert Abela.