Victoria Police association reaches pay agreement with Andrews government

Victoria Police has called off industrial action, which for the first time ever included plastering slogans across vehicles, after reaching a pay deal with the government. Here’s the next step.

Police across Victoria will call off industrial action as the union representing officers looks set to reach a deal with the Andrews Government

Under the deal, police will receive a 2 per cent increase annually.

But sergeants and senior sergeants will also get a salary increase of $10,000 over four years.

Police Minister Lisa Neville said the new arrangements would add two extra weeks of parental leave and higher weeknight penalty rates.

“It’s an agreement that does reward police officers but also delivers a more flexible and responsive police service for Victoria,” she said.

“This is about, particularly in relation to women in our police force, really acknowledging some of the challenges in their job and assisting them in being able to get back to work.”

Ms Neville said the government had also secured better productivity through centralised rostering.

“Making sure right across the state we know what and where every police officer is and maximising every opportunity out of that,” she said.

“They (police) now have an opportunity to vote on what I think is a very fair and good offer for them.”

Victoria Police car with slogans written in chalk based paint. Picture: AAP

The deal comes after police had warned they would flash their emergency lights near speed cameras and write political message on cars until the dispute was settled.

Negotiations had soured over the past month as the state government held firm on its public sector wages policy of a 2 per cent increase year on year.

But Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt said the agreement would see a total boost to police income close to 3 per cent.

“We’ve gotten to a point now where we think we’ve achieved an outcome that is worth putting to our members,” he said.

“You see increases in weekday penalties and you see increases in other terms and conditions that deliver aside from those base salary increases.

“We see this as a win.”

All members will also be entitled to a fitness allowance of about $500 per year but there will be no restrictions on how they spend the money.

Mr Gatt said a commitment to minimum staffing level at stations would benefit the community.

“We have a framework there to ensure that there are checks and balances at 24-hour police stations and the other stations where the majority of our policing services or frontline services roll out from,” he said.

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The union has been pushing for a 4 per cent increase for its 17,000 members since August.

Industrial action kicked off on Monday when a thousand chalk-based pens were circulated to cover police cars in political messages.

Slogans such as “Fighting crime doesn’t pay” and “Pollies 11%, Police 2% … makes no sense!” were among those used across Victoria.