By TOM HAYES
Victoria Police members have endorsed a revised wage proposal from the state government amid ongoing negotiations.
Originally seeking a six per increase per year for four years, 67 per cent of the more than 13,000 The Police Association of Victoria (TPAV) members voted in favour of the proposed deal – a minimum wage increase of 4.5 per cent over four years.
The revised offer from the state government follows a rejected offer in July 2024, of a four per cent increase per year over four years.
Uniformed ‘frontline’ officers that perform general duties will gain an extra half a per cent pay rise and will no longer have to ‘kit up’ and ‘kit down’ outside of work hours, a clause that excludes highway patrol officers, crime scene officers, detectives, and a number of other departments.
The offer is set to cost the state government over $450 million based on the current $3.2 billion wage bill. Though it may be considered a win for the state government, as it is much less than the six per cent wanted by TPAV which was estimated to cost over $800 million according to the Herald Sun.
Leading Senior Constable and TPAV Delegate for Baw Baw and Latrobe, Glenn Redenbach spoke to the Express on Friday, January 24 regarding the decision.
“Most of the members I’ve spoken to today feel particularly aggrieved,” he said.
“Even some members that were considered uniform, as in highway patrol… they are particularly aggrieved that they’re not included in the five per cent wage offer.
“There’s a bit of division across the organisation in relation to that.
“From a delegate perspective for my members in Latrobe and Baw Baw, that’s been pretty upsetting and probably another sign that the (state) government and VicPol need to do better.
“The vibe of the membership is happy that they’ve got a revised offer but saddened that it has led to such a divide in the membership between different pay rates for different sectors in the force.”
Members felt an element that they were strong-armed into accepting the revised offer because of the clause that included backpay from June 1, 2024. Any further offers were not going to include the backpay clause, which could be several thousands of dollars in backpay for each member.
“The element of the deal said that members need to take advantage of this proposal, it’s a one-time offer, and if they don’t, we lose the backpay part of the proposal,” LSC Redenbach said.
LSC Redenbach described the one-time offer as “a sweetener”, believing that the 67 per cent voting in favour was a reflection of members doing it tough, needing the money.
A clause that was gained in the 2019 EBA allowed members coming to the end of their careers to cash out on a portion of their unused sick leave. That clause has since been scrapped in the new EBA, to be terminated by the end of the year.
“For some members that was a year’s worth of sick leave that potentially they could cash out,” LSC Redenbach said.
Under the previous EBA, members would’ve been able to “leave their positions early, taking that deal, and stations didn’t carry a vacancy”.
The removal of the sick leave clause may force police members to use sick leave more frequently for smaller issues, which comes as a concern.
“That’s the inference of that deal, Victoria Police at the moment are understaffed, we’re having trouble retaining people, and now we’re going to have trouble with unplanned leave,” LSC Redenbach said.
“There’s no point getting to the end of your career with a mountain of unused sick leave, because you are just going to lose it when you retire.”
Despite the disappointment in the outcome from the negotiations, there is relief amongst police members now that an end is in sight.
“The comments and feedback that I’ve had from members locally, from the ‘yes’ voting camp, is that they’re fatigued, they want to get back to business as usual, and that this is better than continuing,” LSC Redenbach said.
Moe Police Station held one of the last Stop Work demonstrations in the state on Tuesday, January 21. Another Stop Work event was scheduled at the Morwell Police Station on Friday, January 24, but negotiations were coming to an end.
Traralgon Police Station held a Stop Work event last year on Wednesday, December 11 – the first in the Latrobe Valley.
There is concern that police from other states such as New South Wales and Queensland, who are offering better pay, might have the pulling power to poach Victorian officers.
“It is a concern. You could make the case that to now have a wage offer in play partially solves that,” LSC Redenbach said.
“But I don’t feel like this total proposal, as a package, particularly has resolved that retention and recruitment issue. I think it’s still going to be a problem that local police with face for another few years.”
The Heads of Agreement, an initial agreement between parties that there is potential for a bargaining offer to be balloted and put to members, is currently being drafted. Once signed, the Protected Industrial Action will cease.
If members eventually vote a majority ‘yes’, the dispute will be complete. The final vote is expected to be taken within the next couple of weeks.
The Express reached out to the state government for a comment, but has not yet received a response.
