No reasonable prospect of an agreement being reached between Victoria Police and the police union, documents show

Force command has applied for intervention by the Fair Work Commission following more than 15 months of bargaining involving 113 meetings.

Victoria Police has moved to end ongoing industrial action and put a stop to its long running pay dispute with members.

On Monday, force command applied for intervention by the Fair Work Commission after more than 15 months of bargaining involving 113 meetings.

It means independent FWC arbitrators could decide all the terms of the police pay agreement.

The move has infuriated rank and file members who say they are now “at war” with Victoria Police’s top brass.

FWC documents obtained by the Herald Sun show there is no reasonable prospect of an agreement being reached between Victoria Police and the police union.

The pay dispute has been going for more than 15 months. Picture: David Crosling

And they blame the government’s strict wages policy for the impasse, saying they are being blocked from reaching an agreement.

“The gap between the PFA’s (Police Federation of Australia’s) 6 per cent wages claim and the government’s wages policy is of such magnitude that securing a negotiated outcome is unfeasible,” they say.

“Accordingly, Victoria Police does not consider there is any reasonable prospect of agreement in circumstances where it cannot reach agreement on wages outside the wages policy.

“Victoria Police has been advised by government that it is not authorised to make any wages or allowances offer that is inconsistent with wages policy.”

Independent FWC arbitrators could decide all the terms of the police pay agreement. Picture: David Crosling

Police members are demanding a new $840m pay deal after rejecting a 16 per cent pay rise over four years and the introduction of nine hour shifts.

Instead they want 6 per cent annual pay rises over the next four years as well as the introduction of new 8.5 hour shifts which will leave them with an extra 14 days off a year.

In June the government signed a mammoth $1bn pay deal for nurses, giving them a 28 per cent pay rise which has become a benchmark for emergency service workers to follow.

The current police workplace agreement expired last November, with police staging industrial action between December and May when police union members voted to accept the phased-in introduction of nine hour shifts by 2028.

However 57 per cent of police later rejected the deal forcing parties back into negotiations and renewed industrial action.

Police Association of Victoria secretary, Wayne Gatt, said industrial action would continue.

“The Chief Commissioner has applied to the Fair Work Commission for an intractable bargaining declaration to be made, which would effectively commence a process of arbitration to determine our members’ terms and conditions of employment,” he said.

Wayne Gatt said industrial action would continue. Picture: David Crosling

“Clearly, this is a very significant development that will considerably impact the future working conditions of our members and comes as Police Association members last week escalated Protected Industrial Action measures in pursuit of a bargaining outcome.

“TPAV will bring its elected delegates together for an urgent meeting tomorrow morning. Industrial action will continue until the matter is heard by the commission or directed otherwise by our elected representatives.”

A Victoria Police spokesperson said the pay dispute was now a matter for the FWC.

“Victoria Police has taken this measure as there is currently no reasonable prospect of Victoria Police and the Police Association Victoria reaching agreement without independent intervention,” she said.

“We will now await further direction from the Fair Work Commission on next steps and timeframes.”

Originally published as No reasonable prospect of an agreement being reached between Victoria Police and the police union, documents show