DISSATISFIED POLICE

Evening Star, Issue 18175, 16 January 1923, Page 8

DISSATISFIED POLICE

A GCUMUDATED lIOIIDAV'S. Great dissatisfaction is staled to exist' among inoiribers of tho M cllingtou Polko Force with regard (to a; difficulty in obtaining their holiday leave. It is slated that several of the mon who are entitled to their annual leave arc being retained on duty on account of the present trouble with the seamen, vriiidi so far has (proved to bo a petty matter as far as tho .police aro concerned (says a Wellington paper). Tho men claim that those who may be permitted to go on leave could register their addresses at headquarters, and they could bo recalled to bo back on duty at twenty-tour hours’ notice from any part of New Zealand. It is said that there are policemen in Wellington with threo years’ accumulated leave (aver six weeks) 'duo to them, and they are unable to get away 7 . This leave which is duo Is in un-cars through no fault of the men themselves. 'lhe, police claim that a holiday roster drawn up on systematic lines should bo nvadahlo at tho beginning of each year. In Australia and England a holiday rosier is posted up in January of each year, and the men are empowered to take tho date of leave allotted to thorn or make, such exchanges with ono another as would suit their convenience.

The New Zealand police work seven days (of eig'bifc .hours) a v.-eok, but it appear# that the animal leave is by regulation merely a. privilege and not a. right. A good deal of overtime without compensation was put in by the police during the recent elections.