Police Pay

Press, Issue 32345, 10 July 1970, Page 12

Police Pay

Sir, —As a public servant on a fixed income with no overtime or bonuses, I cannot help being a little jealous at the 43 per cent salary increase awarded university staff. Because many such Government and private organisations have publicity given to their wage structures and increases I feel a complaint about the police wage set-up would be appropriate. Little wonder that the country is short of policemen when one finds the Police Staff Tribunal since its inception has never granted to the police an increase in basic pay. It is true that it has passed on and approved other increases such as overtime allowances, etc.; but the majority of the increases, are just what other public servants receive, no more and no less. Surely the present Government, if it is at all concerned about the increase of crime and the shortage of police, might, of its own volition, put the wages of its policemen right in the | same way as university sala-i ries.—Yours, etc., BRASSED-OFF COPPER. J June 28, 1970.

[The Minister of Police (Mr Thomson) replies: “ ‘BrassedOff Copper’ is quite correct in his statement that the Police Staff Tribunal has not, since its inception, granted the police an increase in basic pay. It has not been asked to do so by either the Police Officers’ Guild or the Police Association. However, conditions of employment, including overtime allowance, have at least kept pace with other groups in the State services. At the present time, negotiations are in train between the Police Association, joined by the Police Officers' Guild, and the Police administration, for a review of the basic scale for policemen.”]