Official bargaining kicks off on May 1. On that day police officers throughout the country will be making their feelings known by engaging in activities aimed at drawing Police, public and political attention to their bid for remuneration that matches the risks they face in doing their job to keep New Zealanders safe.
Under the campaign slogan “Repay the Risk” Police Association president Steve Watt says members are simply asking Police, the Public Service Commission and Government to do exactly that – repay the risks endemic in the role of a police officer.
“Those risks include exposure to violence and danger, unpredictable and traumatic incidents, increasing complexity in frontline policing, and the responsibility of protecting public safety,” Steve says.
“Members feel that when it comes to their pay negotiations, they are essentially invisible – no ability to work to rule, no marching in the streets, nothing to capture the attention of politicians or the public.
“That is why we are doing things differently this pay round.”
A key focus of the campaign is members telling their stories – whether that is economic hardship or the daily diet of physical and psychological risk.
The first stage of the campaign involves writing postcards to MPs outlining the struggles members face – from stress and trauma affecting wellbeing, to heart-wrenching stories of attending suicides, fatal crashes, violent family harm episodes, sexual assaults, and being physically assaulted themselves.
Members are also experiencing financial hardship as pay increases over recent years have failed to keep pace with inflation.
“There’s a definite feeling that they are just treading water when it comes to pay, and that’s particularly difficult when there is no clear break on the horizon,” Steve says.
“We know of officers who are struggling to pay rent or mortgages, who can barely cover basic household costs and are resorting to reliance on food parcels or family support. This pressure is especially acute for officers with dependents or single-family incomes,” he says.
“We also see extreme pressures on members who live in high-cost districts such as Wellington, Queenstown-Lakes and Auckland with its high rents and vast travel requirements.”
The association believes such pressures are affecting recruitment, evidenced in Labour/NZ First taking six years to produce the 1800 net extra officers promised in three; the current National/NZ First/ACT coalition missing its target of net extra 500 in two years; and NZ Police spending $35,000 on a campaign to lure back officers from Australia that attracted just two.
A key plank of the pay campaign strategy is direct engagement with politicians across the spectrum of parties and rank – from Prime Minister to backbenchers, who will receive postcards from members outlining the experiences that have motivated this active campaign.
“We welcome pro-active engagement from MPs who often know the officers in their districts. I urge them to take some time to ask about the pressures driving this unique campaign,” Steve says.