Victoria police are set to launch industrial action, disrupting government operations and sabotaging speed cameras, after rejecting a pay deal that offered three per cent pay rises and a nine-day fortnight. The Police Association is demanding annual six per cent pay increases and an extra 14 days off each year in exchange for working 8.5-hour shifts.
If accepted, the new terms would add at least $200 million to Victoria Police’s wages bill, already at $3.2 billion annually. The state government’s financial constraints, with a $190 billion debt, are a point of contention. Police feel undervalued compared to other public sector workers who have received higher pay increases, including nurses with a 28 percent raise over four years.