Vic: Police impose work bans from midnight

AAP General News (Australia)
08-12-2001
Vic: Police impose work bans from midnight

MELBOURNE, Aug 12 AAP - Victoria's police force will implement work bans from midnight
tonight in support of a pay claim.

For the first time in 25 years, rank and file officers will refuse to perform their
full duties in support of industrial action.

Bans include not issuing infringement penalty notices or processing speed camera film,
refusing to appear in court unless subpoenaed, and not working unpaid overtime.

Victorian Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon said contingency plans were in place to
ensure the community's safety was not compromised.

"I am bitterly disappointed the final pay offer did not avert police industrial action,"

she said in a statement.

"The force will implement contingency plans to ensure community safety is not compromised
... everything will be done to minimise any inconvenience to the public," she said.

The Police Association was taking a big risk by not accepting the government's offer
of between 12 and 24 per cent, Police Minister Andre Haermeyer said.

"It's extremely regrettable that the association has knocked back a very generous offer
... which would have made them the best paid police force in Australia," he said.

"They have not put any alternate offer to us ... they maintained their claims for rises
of up to 39 per cent," he said.

Under the government's offer, constables would earn a salary of about $47,000 within
three years, rising to a senior constable's pay of $57,000, Mr Haermeyer said.

"By imposing these bans the association is forcing us to arbitration in the Australian
Industrial Relations Commission, where they may well end up with less," he said.

Victorian police want a new pay structure to entitle them to the same pay rates as
their NSW counterparts, but career structure was just as important, Police Association
State Secretary Paul Mullett said.

"The government has got to appreciate that with all the will in the world they are
compromising community safety by not meeting our claim, particularly in respect to a new
career structure which will retain good experienced police," he said.

"If the offer is not a good one our members are simply going to leave in droves and
that's going to affect community safety."

AAP ag/jnb/sb

KEYWORD: POLICE VIC 2ND NIGHTLEAD

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