Police officers have rejected the government’s latest pay offer, describing it as a “kick in the guts”.
It included a $5000 pay increase backdated to November last year, two 4% salary increases this year and next year, and changes to some allowances, leave accumulation and short-notice shift changes.
It comes as officers say they are understaffed and struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living crisis sees prices soar. Last month, 1News reported some officers were forced to use food banks.
When the offer was made on Friday, it appeared to be highly unpopular with Police Association members. One described it to 1News as “a kick in the teeth”.
Members have overwhelmingly rejected the Government’s offer.
Association president Chris Cahill used a flurry of adjectives to describe the offer, calling it “a kick in the guts”, “insulting”, “demoralising”, “farcical”, “disrespectful”, and “an absolute joke”.
He called out the Government, saying the offer made doesn't back up their lofty plans for law and order.
“The coalition government sold itself to Kiwis as ‘getting tough on crime’, introducing legislation such as the gang patch ban, which will greatly increase demand on already stretched frontline officers and increase the risks they face,” he said today.
“Yet they insult these very officers by intentionally failing to backdate the pay offer that has been delayed by politics and government processes, not officers.”
Attracting 500 new recruits, 'difficult'
The Government has promised to recruit 500 new police officers over the next two years. Cahill said this would be difficult if wages remained the same.
“It demonstrates how out of touch Police is with its workforce,” he said.
He said officers felt “abandoned” after seeing the offer and called on the Government to do better.
“If Police Minister Mark Mitchell expects officers to front up and deliver on his government’s increased expectations to drive down youth crime, crack down on gangs and lower the road toll, he needs to front up to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance and get a pay offer that appropriately compensate officers for the risks they face and the trauma they experience.
“Police officers care about the communities they serve; the least the government needs to do is demonstrate it cares about their police.”
At a media conference this afternoon, Cahill said that while officers aren’t allowed to take industrial action and go on strike, “they want to start getting in the streets”.
“They want to make the public realise that they’re actually not being supported.”
Labour's police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said: "It sounds like the offer to Police is so bad it won’t even be put to members for a vote.
"This is just like with free lunches and kids’ classrooms – National is making a choice to fulfil a political promise for tax cuts rather than pay Police properly," she said.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said today they were negotiating in good faith.
It was an ongoing conversation that had started with the previous government.
Police Minister responds
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he doesn't agree that the Government's latest police pay offer is "dismal".
Speaking to media this afternoon, Mitchell said he would not get into the details of the offer specifically, but acknowledged the Government was currently engaged in good faith negotiations with the police association.
"It is a genuine good faith process. I value and try to have a very good strong working relationship with the association itself. We're trying to go through this process the best way we can.
"I've been in this position as a former police officer. I've been on the other side of it, without a doubt. But now we're engaged in good faith process with the association."
Asked whether he would have accepted the offer himself, he responded: "Again, that was then and this is now."
"I'm doing the best that I can and we're doing the best that we can as Government given the cards that were dealt to us, and we remain committed to it," he said.
A police officer responds: 'Work & Income sent me to the food bank'
An officer spoke to 1News, on the basis of anonymity, about their circumstances.
"I am a single [parent] raising two young children with limited support from family and friends.
"I work shift work, frontline duties. It limits my time I get to spend with my children and impacts my social life."
Days off, the officer said, were spent planning childcare and running errands — there wasn't much down time.
"I am unable to do a Monday to Friday role on my current pay band, I would lose all the allowances that are available to shift workers, so I continue to struggle with shift work to support my family."
The officer said they were "only just managing to stay afloat financially" and not getting ahead.
"I have been forced to apply for a hardship grant to cover bills and help with day to day living cost.
"I asked Work and Income for a food grant and was told that I earn too much, they told me to go to the food bank.
"The food bank was reluctant to help at first as I was seen to earn enough in their eyes. Once they did agree to help, I had to get a friend to pick up the food parcel for me, I didn't want to run the risk of people I deal with recognising me at the food bank.
"It was such an ordeal that I have been reluctant to ask them for further assistance."
Is this the life my children deserve?
Despite working hard, the officer was unable to provide their children with anything more than the basics.
"They don't do sports, they don't go on holidays, they don't get trips to the movies or other fun activities, it's just simply unaffordable.
"I want my children to grow up seeing a mother that works hard and provides for her family, but what they are seeing is, limited time with me, a stressed mother that worries about money, and me being upset that I have to say no to fun activities and trips away."
The officer said their children have witnessed them being assaulted off-duty.
"They have seen me come home with injuries from work, at one point my youngest was unable to sleep while I was on late and night shifts cause they were worried they might not see me again."
The officer said laws, regulations and rules werein place with a goal "to be the safest country".
"But what they are failing to do is financially recognise us for the hard work we do to govern these laws for them. We wear the brunt of it from unhappy offenders and victims.
"We go to work every day, putting our life on the line and not knowing if we will come home to our family at the end of the day, all to do their bidding by upholding the laws they have in place.
"We go home at the end of a stressful shift wondering how we are going to feed our family, pay bills.
"We knew this job wouldn't be easy, we all knew what we were signing up for, but it really hurts deep that we can't be recognised for our hard work.
"We come home... exhausted, stressed and mentally drained from the things that we see, hear and have to do to keep this country safe."
So, why keep doing it?
"Because it's important to me that everyone is safe and feels safe — and I can't think of a better way to do it other than policing."
The officer said they felt like a number to police management and the Government. "But to my family and kids I am their everything.
"Every time I put that uniform on to protect my family and community, I risk not coming home to be a part of it."
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