Victoria Police officers walk off the job in pay dispute with Allan government

Hundreds of furious police officers have walked off the job in an escalating pay dispute, warning the strike could roll on into the future.

Hundreds of Victorian police officers have walked off the job in a mounting pay dispute with the state government.

The strike kicked off at the police academy in Glen Waverley, about 25km east of the Melbourne CBD, on Thursday morning, with uniformed officers and cadets marching out on a work-stoppage.

Officers held up a large banner reading: “breaking point” and signs reading: “overworked, undervalued”.

Police Association of Victoria chief executive Wayne Gatt said the disruption could roll on without a satisfactory pay deal from the Jacinta Allan government.

The strike kicks off at the Victorian Police Academy in Glen Waverley.Picture: NewsWire / Nadir Kinani

Thursday marks the first time in 25 years the Victorian Police have pursued industrial action.Picture: NewsWire / Nadir Kinani

“We’ve got soaring crime in Victoria, a state of law and disorder, not law and order,” he told the Today show on Thursday.

“And our members are powerless to stop it because we are losing cops … we need to stop an attrition rate of 6 per cent.

“We need to stop that. We need to reward our police for the incredible work they do.”

The dispute between the union and the government has been referred to the Fair Work Commission and Mr Gatt said his members felt “completely disrespected”.

Police Association of Victoria chief executive Wayne Gatt warned that low pay could lead to a loss of police officers to other states. Picture: NewsWire / David Crosling

“In the shadow of being handballed off to the FWC on Monday, they’ve said ‘enough is enough’,” he said.

“Please, talk to your police and intervene. Solve this dispute.”

Some officers marked their police cars with slogans and statements protesting their current pay and conditions.

One car sported the statement “all cops are burnt-out”, which is a play on the anti-police “ACAB” slur used by radicals.

Victorian Police officers marked their cars on Thursday to demand better pay and conditions. Picture: Liam Beatty

The strike action, which involves work stoppages, kicked off on Thursday. Picture: Liam Beatty

Mr Gatt warned that comparatively low pay rates for Victoria’s cops could lead to an exodus of officers to other states.

A constable in Victoria makes about $75,000 a year, while a senior constable makes about $92,000.

By contrast, a constable in NSW makes about $110,000 a year following a recent pay bump from Premier Chris Minns’ government, and a senior constable makes about $146,000.

The strike, which will involve stop-work actions, marks the first industrial protest the police have taken in 25 years.

A sea of police protest their pay and conditions at the police academy.Picture: NewsWire / Nadir Kinani

The pay dispute has been ongoing for 18 months.

The union wants a yearly 6 per cent pay bump over the next four years and new 8.5 hour shifts.

The government has offered a 16 per cent pay rise over the four-year period.

Despite the walk-off, Mr Gatt said there would be no impact on the community.

“Our members, they’ll stop work, but they will also stop stopping work if you call for urgent assistance,” he said.

“We give you that absolute commitment.”