Economically, the Government continues to tread cautiously as there remains significant risk despite revenue and debt levels being in much more favourable positions than forecast. This translates into an expectation that public sector organisations will exercise restraint in any upcoming collective agreement negotiations. Police is unlikely to be exempt from this approach.

It is natural for people to align their personal view of the country’s economic situation with the reality of where they sit within it.

Many members will have been watching their homes increase in “value” at unbelievable rates, and while it is not actual money in the pocket, it potentially delivers a positive sense of wealth and wellbeing.

Conversely, members who are not on the property ladder may be struggling to pay increasing rents while any dream of home ownership slips away.

What we have noticed since our last negotiations is that the cost of housing – whether buying or renting – is up steeply and no longer a problem largely restricted to the Auckland area. For all New Zealanders, including our members, affordable housing is now a problem across the entire country, and it is one the association is mindful of.

In our survey of members’ pay-round expectations, we identified a call to focus on conditions and not just the general wage increase. Accordingly, we will be addressing issues such as Toil, shift incentives and short-notice shift changes.

Your feedback since the 2019 negotiations has made it clear you believe the constabulary Toil rule has well outlived its time, and hour-for-hour Toil is a high-priority expectation.

You have also made your feelings known about short-notice shift changes. We are keen to address this practice with a sanction that will not only encourage a change in Police’s management of the issue, but which, importantly, compensates the affected member and their family for the resulting disruption.

Another focus in these negotiations will be the length of time it takes members to move through their bands, and the subsequent inequities this can create with people doing exactly the same jobs, but often receiving vastly different levels of compensation. Preliminary discussions with Police indicate an appetite to consider this complex area, and hopefully we will work together to find a satisfactory solution.

We negotiate in a unique environment. We consciously elect to combine the two collectives into one set of negotiations.
This is based on a belief that what is good for constabulary members is equally good for Police employees, although we will look to refine and improve aspects unique to one or the other of the collectives.

If agreement cannot be reached on the constabulary collective, parties go to final offer arbitration. This is far from an ideal option and poses significant risks for all parties as the arbitrator must then choose one position over the other. This means it is in everyone’s interest to reach a fair and equitable settlement ensuring Police staff are properly compensated for the ever-increasing challenges they face daily.

We have assembled a team of excellent pay advisers from various workgroups across the country to provide us with feedback on member perspectives. You can also
email us on [email protected].

We will regularly update you on negotiation progress.

From the President

Chris Cahill