Police reject their latest pay offer
Government given ‘one more chance’ to ‘lift their game’
New Zealand police officers have “overwhelmingly rejected” the Government’s latest pay offer and given them one last chance to “lift their game”.
The latest offer was put to vote on April 8, by the New Zealand Police Association (NZPA), giving members until 5pm yesterday to vote.
More than 75 per cent voted against the offer, a statement from the NZPA yesterday read.
President Chris Cahill said the outcome sends a clear message to the Government that the offer “falls well short of addressing officers’ concerns and very real needs”.
“Our members were looking for a sincere effort by Government to correct the crippling erosion of police living standards caused by the costof-living crisis and to recognise the increased challenges and dangers police officers face in keeping New Zealanders safe.
“This offer fails to provide any real attempt to remedy the steady decline in officers’ salaries, particularly when measured against comparable professions’ salaries, such as teachers and nurses,” Cahill said.
The rejection comes despite the Government putting in more funding for an improved offer, believed to be about $250 million more.
When he put the offer to police, Cahill had made it clear to members that he believed it was the best the Government would offer and arbitration would be the next step if it was rejected.
“If police and the Government genuinely value the role and commitment of officers, they need to lift their game in the remuneration stakes.
“They have one more chance to do that,” Cahill said.
The NZPA says it will now ask the mediator in the process to “immediately direct negotiation to final offer arbitration”.
The rejection comes after police rejected a $5000 general wage increase last month that was labelled “insulting” by one officer.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said it was an “incredibly disappointing outcome” and the latest offer was “significantly better” than what was presented in August last year.
Mitchell said the new offer included the overtime rate that the NZPA asked for, a $1500 cash payment and a “locked-in” pay increase in the third year, well beyond the forecast rate of inflation.
The Herald understands in total, the offer to police was worth an extra $798m.
Labour MP and former Police Minister Ginny Andersen said on X, formerly Twitter, that Mitchell “is asking NZ Police to do more, but refuses to pay them for it”.
Last month the Herald received a photo of a box in a Christchurch police station for the “discreet donation and collection” of non-perishable items for police staff “struggling to put food on the table”.
Cahill told the Herald the association was aware the Christchurch committee had a collection box for food donations to assist colleagues “who they understand are struggling with current cost of living pressures”.
“This is a genuine local initiative but it has not been instigated by our national office. It demonstrates that the concerns we have raised about police staff struggling with the cost of living crisis is real.
“Police staff should not be in this position and I know the public will be concerned to hear this is the case.”