“It is inconceivable that an officer should earn only €100 more than the national minimum wage. Besides being very low, it is unjust taking into account the risk, the complexity of the mission and the responsibility”, consider the Union Association of Police Professionals (ASPP/PSP) and the Professional Association of the Guard (APG/GNR), who marked the protest under the motto “zero tolerance”.
Data provided to Lusa by the ASPP indicate that the average salary of a policeman [not in his career as an officer] with 25 years of profession is about €1,250 net and at 10 years it is €890. In France, for example, the start of the career starts at €1,309 and in Poland the first salary of a policeman is about €1,150, with promotions every six years.
In the case of GNR, officers entering the corporation also receive €798.
Both trade union structures are unanimous: “Never before, as today, has there been so much discouragement, revolt and instability within the police and the GNR. Devaluation and even contempt by governments for the problems of the police have created this internal climate.
More and more they demand more hours of work, more and more rights cut in favour of the service, with worse and worse conditions and compensations for these demands”.
Among the demands that motivated the protest and in addition to the salary increases, is also an increase in the salary supplements, which “have not been reviewed for more than 10 years”, the payment of a risk allowance and more and better personal protection equipment.
The police also demand an inspection of the conditions of hygiene, health and safety at work and that they can retire at 55 years of age.
According to the 2018 Annual Report on Internal Security (RASI), the National Republican Guard had 22,829 employees, of whom 891 were officers, 2,451 were sergeants, 19,200 were officers and 287 were forest guards.
The PSP consisted of 20,085 elements, of whom 807 were officers, 2,227 were chiefs and 17,051 were agents.
Everyone wants to be paid more. This is the starting salary that's being discussed, which is usually never high. There can be limited comparison to France where the cost of living is significantly higher. If you don't like your working conditions, it's for you to look for another job. That's how it works.
By Jonny from Porto on 22 Nov 2019, 10:41
It is interesting to see how much police are paid in Poland which is a country with a lower minimium wage and GDP than Portugal. Police need to be paid well, this also helps avoid corruption and helps police avoid being tempted to take bribes. They deserve more. Is that not obvious?
By John Roberts from Lisbon on 22 Nov 2019, 23:12
Really shocking that the people who work at the police get paid so badly. I am Dutch. In the Nederlands there is enough work for the police employees. The salary is much better.
By Yvonne Koster from Algarve on 23 Nov 2019, 15:45
It should be noted that a type of job we are talking about interferes more with a persons life and thus reduces the means of the individual worker to manage their civilian life in a similar manor to many other workers with more means of making due with less money.
Police work is high involvement and danger and low wages then can cause a risk for temptation to corruption.
By Kari Lehto from Other on 12 Jun 2020, 07:14