Police industrial action ‘on like Donkey Kong’ over pay dispute

Thousands of police and protective services officers will take industrial action from this week after negotiations over pay and conditions broke down.

The union and Victoria Police have been locked in months-long talks over a new enterprise agreement, with demands for 4 per cent pay rises and better working conditions such as nine-hour shifts.

Officers across Victoria will take action from 7am on Sunday, which will lead to 19 simultaneous work bans across the force.

Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said on Tuesday that actions would include slowing down drivers and handing out information to people in public places.

Police plan to park their vehicles beside red-light cameras and speed cameras where the limit is below 80km/h and flash their lights to encourage drivers to slow down. The action is designed to reduce government revenue from fines.

Industrial action will also include members stopping work when it is safe to do so, police vehicles being used to promote messages about their fight and a ban on members working beyond rostered hours without claiming overtime.

Government officials will also stop receiving briefings and reports under the action.

“From Sunday at 7 o’clock, it’s on like Donkey Kong,” Gatt said. “Our members, armed with crayons in hand, will take to their vehicles on Sunday morning at 7 o’clock, and they’ll tell the government exactly what they think of it.”

The union said more than 15,192 members had voted in favour of industrial action, representing 88 per cent of police and protective services officers.

Last week, Victoria Police said significant progress had been made towards an agreement that was fair to police, protective services officers and the community, while recognising the challenges of policing.

It said the community could be assured front-line policing services would continue to be provided when industrial action started on Sunday.

The Victorian government has been contacted for comment.

The current enterprise bargaining agreement, struck in 2019, expires on Thursday. Gatt said the union had been left with little choice after Victoria Police and the state government failed to come up with an offer that would resolve its members’ concerns.

He said members would send a message to government from Sunday, informing it what needed to be done to change the “slash and burn” mentality within the force.

“Our police officers are being burnt out, day by day by day,” he said. “This is not action that was unavoidable; indeed it is most avoidable. It’s not action police officers and protective service officers want to take. It’s action we wanted to avoid.”

With AAP

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