Andrew Drummond
August 13, 2009
Warnings that the NSW police force is already losing officers because of
proposed changes in pay and entitlements are unfounded, the state
government says.
The NSW Police Association and state government are at loggerheads
over pay negotiations, with the Industrial Relations Commission brought
in to help solve the dispute.
Police want double the 2.5 per cent wage rise offered by the government,
but they have rejected a proposed trade-off which would see them lose some
entitlements.
The government wants officers to sacrifice sick leave and death and disability
allowances to fund a larger pay rise of four per cent.
The NSW Police Association has released figures showing 95 per cent of
officers in high-stress units, such as child protection, may seek to leave their
unit or resign altogether if workers' compensation entitlements are lost.
Under the current award, police injured on the job receive full pay
until they return to work or leave the force. (WCV's wants to know why the
Police are receiveing 100% of their wages when the rest of us dont?)
If the government proposal is adopted, injured police would be on full pay for
only 26 weeks.
"Police are looking at leaving for a number of reasons, whether it be lack of
support from the government, political interference by the government, a
lack of the government being prepared to sit down and negotiate a wage claim,
" Opposition police spokesman Mike Gallacher told reporters in Sydney.
"They are leaving, and then of course we have a situation where the
government is refusing to ask them a question: 'Why are you leaving and
what can we do to get you to stay?'."
While the government declines to comment on the pay claim, saying it is a
matter for the IRC, it denies suggestions officers are already leaving the force
due to the possible changes to pay and entitlements.
The latest annual attrition rate for the NSW force is 4.6 per cent, Police
Minister Tony Kelly says.
He says the figure is an improvement on previous years and below the levels
seen in other Australian states and territories.
"Every officer that leaves, does leave a hole," NSW Police Commissioner Andrew
Scipione told reporters."(The attrition rate) includes people that die, who are
dismissed, who go out medically unfit, who retire.
"When you put all that together, you realise the numbers are not all that big."
In support of a bid for increased pay while retaining entitlements, police last
month ceased issuing on-the-spot fines and plans are in place to stage a mass
meeting outside Sydney's parliament house in September.
2009 AAP
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