Labour spokesman for home affairs Gavin Gulia said yesterday said that the government had taken police officers for a ride, “first by teasing them with a questionnaire and then giving them extra duties on weekends”.

In a statement, Dr Gulia said that a few weeks ago, through a questionnaire issued by the Police Commissioner, officers who worked in offices were asked to say whether they agreed or not to working on Saturdays.

These officers were working normal office hours from Monday to Friday. Most of the officers did not agree, Dr Gulia said.

Despite this, as from last Saturday, these officers were ordered to work on Saturdays and have a day off during the week. This means that the officers will not be paid extra for this inconvenience, Dr Gulia said.