A 4 percent pay increase proposed for police by the Government has not been recommended by the NZ Police Association and is being labelled “pathetic” by a sworn police employee.

A police association member, who Chris Lynch Media has agreed not to identify, said, “It’s pathetic. The offer is weak and doesn’t align with any other agencies’ pay increases.”

The member said the 4 percent increase “doesn’t even help with the inflation and mortgage increases”.

”Plus we don’t get paid overtime!” they added.

In comparison with other sectors, in December last year, professional firefighters in New Zealand accepted a 22-24 percent pay increase over three years, and just last month, the Post Primary Teachers’ Association members accepted the Government’s 14.5 percent pay rise – backdated to July 2023, and increased over 18 months until the full increase is established by the end of 2024.

Furthermore, minimum wage in New Zealand increased by 6 percent last year, and 7.1 percent this year.

Another police source said, ”For all police to get this increase, it will cost the Government just a little bit more than the cost of consultants for the Auckland Harbour Cycle Bridge. Don’t tell me there is no money.”

”Clearly the Government identifies the value added by minimum wage earners, and the unproductive parts of society over the past two years as being of a value comparatively higher than police, who are dealing with increased demand,” they added.

The Policing Act states that sworn police officers cannot strike, but police employees can.

The sworn employee said a 4 percent increase works out to be approximately “$4,000, minus super (both police and individual contributions, and tax) leaves about $45 per week increase”.

When it comes to expenses, food prices have increased in 2023 by 12.5 percent, the average rent increase (to April 2023) in Canterbury is 9.1 percent, and an 18-month mortgage rate increase (to August 2023) is up 27.3 percent — increasing weekly payments on a $500,000 30-year term loan by $119.

A spokesperson from the NZ Police Association said, “The key aspects of the offer are $4,000 payment on salary, plus 4 percent for a term of just over 2 years. As the offer is out for voting on by members the association is not making any other comment.”

(An earlier version of this story implied the NZ Police Association had proposed the 4% pay offer.)