Police to march?

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, June 21st, 2012 - 34 comments
Categories: law and "order", police, wages - Tags: , ,

So, not only is defence force morale at an all-time low, but now it seems the police are planning a possible protest march:

Police could take action over pay

The ‘zero Budget’ could see another angry crowd marching on Parliament, but this time it’s the police.

Police Commissioner Peter Marshall is refusing to rule out a wage freeze as police pay negotiations enter their final stages, and the Police Association is warning it could be forced into taking action.

Pay negotiations take place tomorrow, and while the police union says it’s illegal for police to strike, it won’t rule out a march on Parliament like they had in 1990 and 1998.

Who guards the guardians if the police march on Parliament? Not that I think it’s going to happen, because I don’t think the Nats, in their current damaged state, can possibly afford the imagery and the message that such a march would send. So expect to see the Nats quietly move on police salaries.

Isn’t it a pity that other professions in our country don’t have the same political leverage as the police…

34 comments on “Police to march? ”

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  1. tracey 1
    21 June 2012 at 11:04 am

    You watch the different public reaction to police marching.. As opposed to, say, teachers

    • bbfloyd 1.1
      21 June 2012 at 11:41 am

      Of course, the police aren’t nationals traditional scapegoat….. we’ve had decades of teachers being demonised by the nats, act, and there mouthpieces in the fourth estate…

  2. Uturn 2
    21 June 2012 at 11:21 am

    Student associations could offer to march in solidarity with Police against government cuts. One group protesting a dim future, the other protesting being robbed in the present by dimwits.

    Failing that, a student association could make a public offer to the government as security services/consultants to contain the public threat of a police march.

    Then, like a broken clock, media headlines of “Students surround Police” would be accurate at last and the surreal irony would be too beautiful to miss.

    • Vicky32 2.1
      21 June 2012 at 3:52 pm

      Then, like a broken clock, media headlines of “Students surround Police” would be accurate at last and the surreal irony would be too beautiful to miss.

      Indeed! Very clever…

  3. fender 3
    21 June 2012 at 11:26 am

    I would love to see the police march on Parliament, they could arrest Dunne and Banks when they get there.

    NAct might offer them free shares in the countries assets instead of giving them a well deserved pay increase.

  4. Matthew 4
    21 June 2012 at 12:09 pm

    The best thing the Police could do right now to remind this Government who really has the power is arrest John Banks. This will cock up Key’s majority & stymie the asset sales. The fact that Banksie will end up inside with his mate Huljych is just a brilliant bonus.

  5. Dave Kennedy 5
    21 June 2012 at 2:05 pm

    While I sympathise to some extent with the police, as a teacher I struggle to see the equity in our pay scales. Teachers have to train for 3-4 years (most borrowing to study) while police recruits earn around $40,000 a year while training, then almost $60,000 as a new graduate. After five years they earn close to $80,000 a year.

    A newly graduate teacher with a three year diploma and a student loan will earn around $35,000 and if a degree $45,000. After seven years teachers will earn about the same as a police graduate. The jobs are different but given the levels of poverty for many children and the increasing social problems teachers have to deal with, and the levels of professionalism expected, teachers are undervalued. In Finland, often regarded as the leading country educationally, teachers have the same status as GPs. My wife is a GP and she could earn twice as much as myself in half the hours when I was a DP of a large primary school. Primary teachers will soon be negotiating our collective agreement and we would like our salaries to recognize increases in the CPI, but with the current pressure on on our education system….?

    • Stephen D 5.1
      21 June 2012 at 2:32 pm

      Some years ago HODs were on parity with back-benchers. Oh for that parity today.

    • Ant 5.2
      21 June 2012 at 4:23 pm

      Cops go through worse shit than teachers, they get paid accordingly even though teachers train longer. Also they don’t earn as much as you say.

      • Draco T Bastard 5.2.1
        21 June 2012 at 5:32 pm

        So? Teachers aren’t paid in line with their skills and importance.

      • Stephen Doyle 5.2.2
        21 June 2012 at 5:41 pm

        Never been in front of a classroom have you, Ant?

        • Crashcart 5.2.2.1
          21 June 2012 at 10:41 pm

          Police like the military give up some of their rights to do the job so that you know they are doing the job. As said they have given up the right to strike. Add to that the inherent danger involved in the job. Yes teachers have a difficult job and assault is not uncommon but I can’t think of a single incident of a teacher in NZ getting killed on the job. Not so for Police and military. This is directly compensated in their pay. If it was money for Jam we would have police and military personnel coming out our ears but we don’t.

          It would be nice if someone could march for the NZDF personnel. We have been in a pay freeze for coming up 5 years but we can’t even form a union or speak out in public about it.

          • lprent 5.2.2.1.1
            21 June 2012 at 11:06 pm

            Good point….

            At least the police have a union (by another name)

          • rosy 5.2.2.1.2
            21 June 2012 at 11:17 pm

            “I can’t think of a single incident of a teacher in NZ getting killed on the job.”
            Close but..
            http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/3676729/Teacher-stabbed-in-Te-Puke-classroom
            http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10559746

          • Draco T Bastard 5.2.2.1.4
            22 June 2012 at 12:39 am

            …but I can’t think of a single incident of a teacher in NZ getting killed on the job.

            Really?

            Now I’ll tell you something that you’re not going to like: Teachers are more important that police or defence force personnel. That’s not to denigrate either the police or defence forces – they’re important to but not as important as the entire future of our society which is in the hands of the teachers.

            Our societies values are very badly screwed as can be seen by who get’s paid what.

          • tracey 5.2.2.1.5
            22 June 2012 at 2:48 pm

            how many police die each year on the job? Is the risk of death how we measure value for pay, so how do drs laywers architects, traders get paid so much.

            No one is saying take away police pay, and they are heavily compensated by being paid to train from the get go. That amounts to a starting bonus of at least 20k, based on student loans. Everyone squeals about increasing teacher quality but who will agree to pay teachers to train… No one in power

          • tracey 5.2.2.1.6
            22 June 2012 at 2:55 pm

            http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/schools-forbid-teachers-reporting-violence-4821063

            For assaults you glibly dismiss. Police and military join up knowing the risks of and expecting physical harm, teachers dont and shouldnt. But who gets paid to train out of the three, and which are dominated by men?

            • Mike 5.2.2.1.6.1
              24 June 2012 at 5:52 pm

              “and which are dominated by men?’. So what are you saying Tracey? I can tell you Police are an equal opportunities employer and have long been proactive in seeking to recruit and retain more females. Maybe it is the difficult nature of the job that makes it a male dominated institution – unlike teaching.

          • Vicky32 5.2.2.1.7
            22 June 2012 at 4:28 pm

            but I can’t think of a single incident of a teacher in NZ getting killed on the job.

            And yet it’s happened! (I see others have already answered you about that, with links, so I don’t need to, but I had thought of at least 3 off the top of my head.)

          • exkiwiforces 5.2.2.1.8
            22 June 2012 at 6:20 pm

            Mate,

            Come and join us ex NZDF personal here in the ADF, the pay and conditions are a hell alot better than in NZ and the Aussie public treat you alot better than in NZ. Can’t wait to see the whinging and bitching from the public when the Navy and Airforce get some new kit from there savings.

            Training is 100 times better than in NZ
            Equipment is 100 times better depending on what service you are
            Life style is 100 times better, unless you are in the Navy with shore bases in Darwin, Carins and Sydney as they out of this world. ( I’m based in the NT 400km’s south of Darwin)
            and finally
            Paid is 100 is better than in NZ, we dont get TAXED on our deployments, our super is good but better than Kiwisaver, and if you live in a remote area like I do I get 1 oversea’s trip a yr incl your parter and kids, one interal trip a yr as well plus a tax break and distict allowance of $459.32 a fortnight.

            I earned $70,158.97 before Tax which is just under $91,000.00 NZ compared that to my Kiwi counterpart who almost does the same job as me is about $37.000.00 a yr before tax.

            All the state police forces are after the NZ police, NZDF pers or NZ Prison Service pers at moment and their pay is better than what I get then they need it.

            And one other thing is that i’ve here in OZ since 1998 after I left NZ Army after Torries destoryed the Defence Force, back then the NZDF was regarded as the Best Little Defence Force in the world and now its a joke like the rest of NZ.

            I’m Ex Labour party member of Hei Hei branch and the eldest son of a former NZ Engineers Union Rep from Canterbury Branch of NZ Engineers Union.

      • Dave Kennedy 5.2.3
        21 June 2012 at 6:36 pm

        Ant-My source for pay data: http://www.careers.govt.nz/default.aspx?id0=60103&id1=j44121
        http://www.careers.govt.nz/default.aspx?id0=60103&id1=j35430
        The worst paid are school support staff who struggle to earn above the minimum wage but are regularly physically abused by children in their care who have high needs (behaviour and disabled).

    • prism 5.3
      21 June 2012 at 5:42 pm

      My son in hospital IT got 1.75%.

    • tracey 5.4
      22 June 2012 at 2:42 pm

      and the training is pretty short. However the police union is one of the most powerful in the country, tho rarely referred to as a union

  6. Treetop 6
    21 June 2012 at 3:04 pm

    Some of the shit the police have to investigate when it comes to politicians, a pay rise is required.

    • burt 6.1
      21 June 2012 at 8:14 pm

      Yeah, It’s so bloody hard for them to report back with: Not in the public interest to prosecute…..

  7. travellerev 7
    22 June 2012 at 9:58 am

    The police to demonstrate? Maybe students should organise to give them a bit of roughing up. See how they like it. I reckon English won’t be comparing them with the Greek. Next time he needs protecting they might not be too happy to oblige.

  8. KJT 8
    22 June 2012 at 10:01 am

    I wonder if they will be arrested, like students?

    • burt 8.1
      22 June 2012 at 8:10 pm

      Well it’s a good point you raise.

      Students get arrested for doing what students do… so the students would therefore seem warranted to make a citisens arrest if police are out and about behaving orderly and within the law.

      • felix 8.1.1
        22 June 2012 at 8:29 pm

        If they hold up any traffic (the most important measure of any democracy being traffic congestion) they should expect a beating.

        According to most of the rightie commenters here, that is.

  9. mike e 9
    22 June 2012 at 8:16 pm

    if their to busy marching they are not up holding the law.
    another exodus to aus

  10. Murray Olsen 10
    24 June 2012 at 10:54 pm

    Seeing as the RWNJs all think teachers are overpaid, why not just pay the police the same rates as teachers? The number of teachers killed on the job might be small, but it’s surely got to be greater than the number of pupils killed by teachers.