Police talk of strike fund

Press, 19 April 1980, Page 1

Police talk of strike fund

There was talk of start- 1 ing a strike fund when more than 200 Christchurch policemen met yesterday to discuss their . penal rates and overtime claims. I The secretary of the New Zealand Police Association (Dr R. A. Moodie) said afterwards that the meeting had been called to “try to • defuse things a little.” “There were only three or four members advocat-. ing strike action today, but tomorrow there could be 30 or 40,” he said. While the association’s i national executive believed ; that direct action was out I of the question, there was i growing unrest among . rank-and-file policemen. | “Unless there ,is a set- ! tlement by the end of No- ■ vember, they won’t tolerate the moderation we are advocating,” said Dr Moodie. .' I He hoped that' after, . yesterday’s meeting, mem- • bers had a better tinder- I standing ,of the situation, • and no longer believed 1 that their national execu- i tive had “sold them down ’ .the river.” ‘.VV i Dr Moodie said’ a national survey on police ! penal rates and overtime was under way, and the national executive would have discussions with the State Services Commission ' this week. “I have assured members that we will make ! every possible effort to I get a settlement,” he said. ; Dr Moodie repeated his : assertion that some police- ; men had lost up to $2OOO ; each because of a pre-con- 1 dition set_b3L.the . Govern-. ! merit on acceptance,.ot the ;. recent :10.4 per cent wage rise for State servants. “I have no criticism of the Combined State Unions for accepting that offer, but the police need much morb'than the standard State service penal and overtime rates to bring them into line,” said Dr Moodie. Policemen are at present paid 23.5 per cent on top of their basic salary in lieu of penal rates and overtime — a figure that has not changed since 1966. An adjustment had been promised in 1977, but nothing had happened, said Dr Moodie.