A01 001 **[001 TEXT A01**] A01 002 *<*'*4Slap in Face**' On Pay for Police*> A01 003 *<*5Police Reporter*> A01 004 |^*4Police industrial action looms closer with the A01 005 Government giving notice yesterday that it will stick to its 5 A01 006 per cent basic salary rise offer. A01 007 |^*0Although cabinet ministers say the whole package deal A01 008 will bump up some police salaries by 30.8 per cent, the Police A01 009 Association faces mounting anger in police ranks. A01 010 |^The association's industrial advocate, \0Mr Graham A01 011 Harding, said he was trying to *"hold the line**" as frustrated A01 012 branches maintained calls for industrial action aimed at A01 013 fouling up police administration. A01 014 |^The cabinet yesterday deferred police pay claims for A01 015 consideration by the powerful cabinet policy committee today. A01 016 *<*4Increase Refused*> A01 017 |^*0The pay issue will go back to the cabinet on Monday but A01 018 the Prime Minister, \0Mr Lange, made it clear yesterday that A01 019 the Government offer will not be increased. A01 020 |^The bone sticking in association members' throats is the 5 A01 021 per cent basic salary offer, which they say would be for their A01 022 first basic pay rise for a decade. A01 023 |^Police negotiators had set a minimum goal of an 11 per A01 024 cent rise for constables and sergeants and 8 per cent for A01 025 senior sergeants and inspectors. A01 026 |^The remainder of the Government package offer is made up A01 027 of the 15.5 per cent increase granted to all state servants, a A01 028 4 per cent *"catch-up**" for wage drift, special payments for A01 029 overtime in excess of five hours and merit payments of between A01 030 1 and 6 per cent. A01 031 |^Promised room for negotiation in this last part is what A01 032 \0Mr Harding said the association was now pinning its A01 033 optimistic, if slim, hopes on. A01 034 *<*4Nod and Wink*>