Government makes new pay offer to police officers, NZ Police say it’s ‘best offer’ due to financial pressures

Police have received another offer from the Government for sworn staff to vote on, after rejecting an offer earlier this month that was labelled ‘insulting’.

The Police Association rejected the $5000 general wage increase earlier this month as frustrations mounted in the thin blue line at the scale of the offer after lengthy negotiations.

The terms of the revised offer suggest the government managed to cough up $200-$250 million more for the offer, including paid overtime from July next year and a $1500 lump sum payment in lieu of more backpay.

On Thursday, Police Association president Chris Cahill sent staff an email with the latest offer, and advised he did not believe it would be possible to negotiate for more so if it was rejected, it would go to arbitration.

In the email, seen by the Herald, Cahill said police had presented the association with a “revised pay offer” after receiving more Government funding.

“Police said this is the best offer it would provide due to the Government’s serious financial pressures.”

Cahill said the offer did not address all of the association’s claims but did now include a $1500 lump sum (taxable) payment.

The second pay increase would be from July 1, 2024 instead of the previous proposal of September 1, 2024.

The association asked members to vote on the offer “to give us a clear mandate to accept or reject it”.

“We do not believe there is any possibility of negotiating for further enhancements.

“If members reject the offer, we will go to final offer arbitration.”

There remained elements requiring clarification, Cahill told members.

“We aim to present the fully detailed offer to members for voting in the second week of April.

“That notice will include a pay calculator so members can assess how the offer affects them individually, a terms of settlement, and a draft Collective Employment Agreement.”

The offer includes the $5000 general wage increase from November 1, 2023 - a 4 per cent increase from July 1, 2024 and a further 4 per cent from July 1, 2025.

Staff would also be paid overtime at time and a half from July 1, 2025.

Police Association president Chris Cahill. Photo / NZME

An email from the association to all constabulary members, viewed by the Herald after the earlier offer this month, said it included a $5000 general wage increase backdated from November 1, 2023, with police allowances increasing 5.25 per cent.

That would have been followed by a general wage increase of 4 per cent from September 1, 2024, with an allowance increase of 4 per cent, followed by another pay increase of 4 per cent from July 1, 2025, accompanied by an allowance increase of 4 per cent.

The earlier email from the Police Association said it was an “insult” that the first increase was not backdated to July 1, 2023 and that the second increase was not effective until September 1, 2024.

“For the record, all the pay delay is attributed to NZ Police, Treasury, Public Service Commission and successive governments.”

It comes as 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 that the local Christchurch association committee had established 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.”

Speaking to media earlier on Thursday, Police Minister Mark Mitchell said “good faith bargaining is continuing”.

“But I’m hoping that we might have some updated information for you guys today.”

Asked if police had accepted the offer, he said there was still a process for the association to go through.

“You’ll just have to wait for the announcement.

“I feel that things have gone well and we will wait and see. I anticipate that you’ll have some information and you’ll see an announcement.”

Asked how confident he was that the offer would be accepted he replied: “That is for the members to decide.

“I’m just not going to speculate on that, that is for them. It’s personal, and I’ll leave it to those frontline police officers to make up their own mind.”

A box asking for 'discreet' donation and collection of non-perishable items has been placed in a Christchurch police station.

Police rejected an offer from the previous government in September last year, which included a permanent $4000 pay increase backdated to April last year and a 4 per cent increase from April this year.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Cahill earlier said back pay remained a central issue, and argued police had been waiting months for a pay offer that had been delayed. He believed no offer would be agreed to without back pay to July last year.

He said there had been an “unprecedented” response from association members critical of the offer. Cahill said it was stark just how “hand-to-mouth” some officers were living, including waiting for payday to clear their bills and resorting to using food banks.

Sam Sherwood is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers crime. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2022, and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.