Police pay dispute settlement ‘closer’

Press, 6 May 1980, Page 6

Police pay dispute settlement ‘closer’

The New Zealand police are much closer to settling their long-standing grievance about penal rates and overtime pay, according to the secretary of the Police Association (Dr R. A. Moodie). Dr Moodie said from Wellington yesterday that he had received a “firm commitment” from the State Services Commission and the Commissioner of Police (Mr R. J. Walton) that police pay rates would be adjusted in accordance with a survey started last year. Dr Moodie said he was satisfied that the commitment would be honoured, and expected “significant progress” at meetings this week.

There had been talk of starting a strike fund when more than 200 Christchurch policemen met earlier this month to discuss their penal rates.-, and’ overtime claims.

A main grievance was that some policemen had lost Up to $2OOO because of a precondition set by the Government on acceptance of the recent 10.4 per cent wage rise for State Servants, which barred further negotiations on penal rates and overtime before the next round of wage talks in November. Dr Moodie said he hoped the assurances would quell any talk of direct action. The police want their penal and overtime rates set in accordance with the standard formulae used in both the public and private sector, regardless of the 10.4 per cent agreement. “There would be a few minor changes because of the nature of police work, but they would be very minor,” said Dr Moodie.

Policemen are paid 23.5 'per cent on top of their basic

salary in lieu of penal rates and overtime, a figure that has not been changed since 1966. . The member of Parliament for Yaldhurst and the Opposition spokesman on police (Mr M. A. Connelly) said yesterday that the Government “should resolve as quickly as possible the outstanding overtime and penal rates claims which are causing concern within the police service.”

He was commenting on a report in “The Press” that the Government’s attitude to the issue was seriously affecting police morale. “At a time when the crime rate is worsening and violence is the order of the day, the Government should be doing everything possible to sustain the morale of police,” said Mr Connelly.