POLICEMEN'S PAY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 78, 19 April 1937, Page 2

POLICEMEN'S PAY

Reduced Hours and Ten Shillings Rise MORE MEN NEEDED WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Minister in Charge of the Folice Department (Hon. P. Fraser) has announced that improvements in the pay and hours of work of members of the Police Force have been agreed to by the Government. The question of redueing the hours of the force in accordance with the expreased policy of the Government had been receiving close attention. There wero difficulties in the way of effeuting any considerable reduction in the hours of work. The Oommissioner of Police (Mr D. J, Cummings) had made certain recommendations, which involved training a large number of men to enable the working week to be reduced. After a close examination of the facts, it had been decided that the hours of duty for the members of the Police Force would be reduced from 56 hours a week, which had heen in operation hitherto, to 48 as soon as a sufficient number of men could be trained. In order to give effect to this pro- f posal it will be necessary t'o call up 125 applicants and(to put them through ; a course of at least three months' j training and instruction in the law. j This will be given at Trentham Camp, as the present accommodation in Wellington it insufficient. As the Government had set a generai standard of 40 hours in the Public Service, and as' in the departments where the 40-hour week was not practicable for the time being the weekly hours had been reduced to very neaT that number, it was only fair that the police should receive some additional pay to make up to them in some measure for the inability to reduce thg hours of duty at a time when hours generally had been reduced. It had, therefore, been decided, said Mr Fraser, to advance the pay of the members of the force by 10s a week., When the 48-hour week for th« members of the force had been established" successfully the question of further redueing the hours of duty would be given consideration. At that time it jnight be necessary to review the whoie question of remuneration in relationship to the reduction of hours and to the conditions then prevailing in the Public Service generally. The Minister in Charge of Police ha» communicated the above information to the president and generai secretary of the New Zealand Police Assoc4*tion. .