Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
It will be months before a newly-appointed independent arbitrator will rule on pay for police, the Police Association says.
Last week more than 75 percent of voting union members rejected the government's deal, which included a flat $5000 pay increase for officers, plus another 4 percent increase in July and again in 2025.
Employment law specialist Vicki Campbell had been appointed to determine which of the final offers from the government and the Police Association would be adopted.
Police Association president Chris Cahill said it would consult with police to determine how their proposal could be refined before it gets to the arbitrator.
He said the failure to come to an agreement had forced both parties into a "win-lose" situation.
"[The arbitrator accepts] one side or the other.
"There's no compromise, there's no meeting in the middle. There's no mixing or matching of different positions and that's a part of the process that should, theoretically, drive the parties to reach their own agreement before you go to final arbitration.
"It's not something that should have to happen too often," Cahill said.
Police Association president Chris Cahill. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
He said the failure to negotiate a pay agreement would put the process back by months.
"Our members need to see progress as soon as possible but the reality is, they're unlikely to get a result within eight to 10 weeks [at] the very earliest opportunity," Cahill said.
'They genuinely felt it couldn't get any worse' - front-line officer
A serving front-line police officer, who did not want to be named, said he was fearful the union would have to dilute their demands in order to ensure it was the winning proposal.
"Everybody voted against the offer because they genuinely felt it couldn't get any worse.
"The arbitrator doesn't look at both sides and come up with a figure in the middle. To increase your chances of having your side submitted you really need to compromise," he said.
The police officer said the process was doing little to convince other officers that their efforts were valued and many felt let down by the new police minister.
"I'm committed [to policing] as a person because I enjoy the work and I feel like I'm making a difference, but I don't feel valued."
He said pay parity was only a portion of the challenges faced by front-line staff.
"You shouldn't be able to go to Aussie, get paid $40,000 more to do the same job and be better equipped and supported.
"[The police] need to look at the broader picture and look at how police are compared to other parts of the public sector. It's not just salaries," he said.
Cahill said many cops on the ground were faced with a range of issues but the current process had narrowed to a fiscal debate - about money in the pay packet.
Cahill said the success of the final offer arbitration would directly determine the force's ability to retain and attract front-line staff.
"Anecdotally what we're hearing is there's a large number of staff considering the move to Australia but they want to see the outcome of this so that they're making equal comparisons with what is on offer and what they will be getting.
"So there is an argument that delays in this process has delayed a larger exodus as well."
Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Vicki Campbell declined to comment.