NCJ Number
78878
Date Published
1980
Length
49 pages
Annotation
This study presents a collection of police wage data for the Australian police forces and covers adult male police wages for all ranks from constable to superintendent from 1964 to at least 1976.
Abstract
Data are for each of the six State police forces as well as two territory forces and the Commonwealth Police. The study uses police wage data to show trends in police real wages and to compare police wages with military earnings and community average earnings. The internal wage relativities within each force are also examined, as are interforce relativities. The study finds that police have shared in increased national productivity since 1964, though in times of rapid price rises there has been a lag in wage tribunals granting catch-up increases to compensate for the rising cost-of-living. Police wages have increased more since 1964 than have wages in the somewhat analogous occupation of military employment. Within the police forces, expansion of relativities compared to constables' wages took place in the later 1960's and early 1970's, but this has been reversed and the police have shared the recent national experience of compression of wages differentials. Tables, graphs, and an appendix of salary tables are provided. (Author abstract modified)