It's time for - The Police Association Victoria

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Enterprise Bargaining planning
starts at The Police Association
as soon as the previous
agreement is signed. Everyone
who volunteers to represent
you, the Executive members, Delegates
and Assistant Delegates contribute in
the process. Every one of our employees,
from the Secretary down, works towards
ensuring an appropriate claim is put up for
negotiation within the time frames outlined.
They work within the parameters of the Fair
Work Act to ensure we do things according
to the rule of law. Your Police Association
works with all stake holders, the Chief
Commissioner and his representatives,
the State and Federal Governments, the
Opposition parties and other interest groups
that may have some bearing on achieving
fair and reasonable outcomes.
In the lead up to the State election, both
sides of politics attended the September
2010 Delegates’ Conference and gave us
‘guarantees. The then Baillieu led opposition
offered to start negotiations at "current
inflation rate" and further increases
on productivity initiatives, if it formed
government at the November state election.
‘Fair enough’ − we thought. After they gained
power (on the back of a strong law and order
platform) we accepted this as the starting
point of EBA negotiations.
For the 2011 EBA, we were ready to sit at
the table and start negotiations in December
2010. The Victoria Police Force was not
ready. The Victoria Police Force Log of Claims
was lodged in February. While disappointed
at the delay, we still held out hope for
meaningful negotiations and a rational
settlement prior to the expiration of the
current agreement in June.
What has happened since? The Baillieu
Government insulted us with a paltry
2.5 per cent pay increase on a four year
agreement. This wouldn’t even cover the
current inflation rate which is now in excess
of 3.3 per cent. Thanks for nothing, Ted.
What about the Victoria Police Force claim?
They offered us, you guessed it 2.5 per
cent as they were authorised to do, but
with significant tradeoffs in current terms
and conditions. Such things as if you can’t
be OSTT Qualified to be operational your
tenure with the Force as a sworn officer
may not continue; a reduction in WorkCover
payments from 104 to 52 weeks; and many
other nasties every Police Association
member should be horrified at.
Who thought up this outrageous wind back
in terms and conditions? Clearly someone
who has never been operational, never faced
an angry man, never been confronted with
a screaming crowd wanting to rip your head
off or someone brandishing a knife, hell bent
on filleting you. This smacks of some dizzy
bean counter put in a position of authority
over something they have no knowledge of.
They should have been at the Special
General Meeting of members held earlier
this month at the Dallas Brooks Centre and
heard the heart felt pleas of proud men
who due to injuries simply cannot be OSTT
qualified. Men who want to remain proud
police officers and contribute any way
they can to policing as sworn officers.
Brian Rix > PRESIDENT
They, and every one of the 2,500 members
present were angry and those of you
who could not get to the meeting should
also be angry. We do not abandon our
wounded. We support, encourage and help
them to achieve. We reject any notion of
throwing people like Sergeant Phil Cleggett
on the scrap heap simply because he is in
a wheelchair. He proudly does his job and
has worn the uniform from that chair for
nearly 20 years.
All Police Association members present
voiced their anger at the insulting pay
offer put on the table by the Government
and Victoria Police Force. How dare the
Government maintain the stupid offer of
what amounts to a pay reduction when
inflation is taken into account. As carried by
the meeting unanimously, we will apply to
Fair Work Australia to take industrial action.
WHAT YOU MUST DO NOW
Each and every Police Association member
must fill out the protected action ballot and
return it within the required time frames to
ensure we can take industrial action and
win this battle.
With the authority of Fair Work Australia,
industrial action will commence on the
6th of June, until someone in authority
comes to their senses and settles a fair
and reasonable pay claim with The Police
Association membership.
The Police Association Victoria Journal May 2011
03