DISSATISFIED POLICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18296, 12 January 1923, Page 9

DISSATISFIED POLICE.

ACCUMULATED HOLIDAYS. Great dissatisfaction is stated to exist among members of the Wellington police force with regard to a difficulty in obtaining their holiday leave. It is stated that several of the men who . are entitled to their annual leave are being retained on duty on account of the present trouble with the seamen, which so far has proved to be a petty matter as far as the police are concerned, says a Wellington paper. The men claim that those who may he permitted to go on leave could register their addresses at headquarters, and they could be recalled to be back on duty at 24 hours' notice from any part of New Zealand. It is said that there are policemen in Wellington with three years' accumulated leave (over six weeks) due to them, and they are unable to get away. This .leave which is due is in arrears through no ! fault of the men themselves. The police I claim that a holiday roster drawn up on ' systematic Jine.s should be available at the beginning of each year. In Australia and England a holiday roster is posted up in January of each year, and the men are empowered to take the date of leave allotted to them or make such exchanges with one another as would suit their convenience. The New Zealand police work seven days (of eight hours) a week, but it appears that the annual 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.