June edition - The Police Association Victoria

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Please hand in this voucher to receive a 10% discount on all products. VIC METRO • AIRPORT WEST OPENING SOON! • BROADMEADOWS 8383 1413 • DANDENONG 9793 4888 • FOUNTAIN GATE 9705 6655 • FOREST HILL 8845 9094 • FRANKSTON 9770 5545 • GLEN WAVERLEY 9886 4144 • GREENSBOROUGH 9434 2033 • HIGHPOINT 9318 2333 • KNOX 9837 5317 • MELBOURNE CITY: • CENTREPOINT BOURKE STREET MALL 9650 2466 • MELBOURNE CENTRAL 9663 6044 • NORTHLAND 9471 4222 • POINT COOK 8353 1255 • PLENTY VALLEY 9436 4244 • PRAHRAN 9510 1515 • RINGWOOD 9870 3111 • SOUTHLAND 9583 0577 • WATERGARDENS 8361 6800 • WERRIBEE 9749 5866 VIC REGIONAL • ALBURY 6021 4906 • BALLARAT 5331 8338 • BENDIGO 5447 4020 • GEELONG 5222 5088 • SHEPPARTON 5821 4450 • WENDOUREE 5320 8144 A proud supporter of The Police Association
NT After lengthy negotiations the Northern Territory Police Association has recommended members accept a new Consent Agreement. The Agreement is for three years starting on 30 June 2011 and expires on 29 June 2014. There are three pay increases over the life of the Agreement as follows: three per cent in 2011, three per cent in 2012 and a further three per cent in 2013. The offer includes a restructure of increment points for each rank, including Superintendents, Aboriginal Community Police Officers and Auxiliaries, meaning the majority of members will receive a salary increase of greater than three per cent on 30 June 2011, which works out to be more than nine per cent over the life of the Agreement. The offer includes improved maternity/ paternity leave provisions which includes access to 52 weeks unpaid leave for members with less than one year’s service, 14 weeks paid maternity leave with the option for another three years unpaid maternity leave for members with one to five years’ service, officers with five or more years’ service will earn 18 weeks' paid maternity leave, with the option to take a further three years unpaid leave with the ability to extend this for another 3 years if they wish. The deal also means couples can combine their parental leave entitlement so both parents can access paid leave, and then share the remaining part of unpaid leave if they want to. Members will also be able to access an Extended Leave Scheme where a member may elect to reduce their salary to 80 per cent over a five year period allowing a member to take one year’s leave in the fifth year at 80 per cent salary. QLD Queensland is still before the Full Bench of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission that is hearing evidence between parties for an increase greater than that the 2.5 per cent per annum for 3 (three) years Queensland Government has offered its police officers. The Full Bench spent a week inspecting stations from Cairns and Mt Isa to Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley and the Gold Coast to get a feel of the work being encountered by officers on a day-to-day basis. Whilst we believe that Queensland officers are deserving of a fair pay rise we wait to see what political will shall prevail with the impending election in the next 12 months. Queensland officers are also currently giving evidence in the Judicial Inquiry into this year’s floods that devastated most of Queensland. Whilst it may not be headlines the recovery and allocation of funds from the Premier’s Appeal does not seem to be benefiting those who need it the most. Queensland is still mindful of the assistance given by other jurisdictions during this disaster. PFA Police Call for Stand Alone Overseas Workers Compensation Scheme In 2004 when the Military Rehabilitation Compensation Act (MRCA) came into being the Veteran’s Entitlements Act was ‘full stopped’. This put police in a difficult position as the MRCA had no provision for police. Since that time we have been lobbying consecutive governments to develop a stand-alone piece of legislation to accommodate police officers working in dangerous missions overseas. As a result, NSW Police refused to provide police for further deployments. In 2009 the government commissioned a Review of Military Compensation Arrangements. One of the key elements of the Terms of Reference (ToR) that affected Police were − Consider the suitability of access to military compensation schemes for members of the Australian Federal Police who have been deployed overseas > > Consider whether the current arrangement to develop an ‘enhanced’ scheme under the SRCA remains appropriate. > > Consider whether it is appropriate for members of the Australian Federal Police who have been deployed on high-risk overseas operations to have access to the MRCA. > > Consider whether it is appropriate to develop a stand-alone compensation scheme for members of the Australian Federal Police who have been deployed on high-risk overseas operations. The Pfa made a submission to that Review and appeared and gave evidence. We argued for the third dot point in that section of the ToR. We were aware that Defence did not want us as part of the MRCA and we have argued since the beginning of this debate that the Safety Rehabilitation Act (SRCA) was developed for domestic public service, not dangerous overseas missions and therefore police should not be part of that legislation. During the Review process we also asked the then Minister for Veteran’s Affairs to expedite the section of the Review that related to police. That wasn’t done. However in April 2010 the Minster for Home Affairs, through his personal intervention in this matter, made a commitment in writing to the Pfa that an interim agreement had been reached to provide officers working overseas access to enhanced benefits. The correspondence said − "The scheme will afford each member a percentage increase in any payment made under the SRCA and will allow members to access compensation similar to that which would be received under the MRCA for similar risk. I am advised that this percentage will be in the order of 45 − 50%". The Review has now been completed and its report has been released. The only relevant recommendation for police was − That the Committee recommends that Australian Federal Police Members not be given access to the MRCA. A pretty weak outcome considering we’ve had to wait almost two years for the result. Why the Committee couldn’t have been bold enough to recommend the third dot point in their ToR - a stand-alone piece of legislation- is beyond our understanding? We have subsequently met with the Minster for Home Affairs and are now in the process of setting up a meeting with him and the Minister for Veteran’s Affairs to finalise this issue once and for all in favour of police. We will keep you advised. The Police Association Victoria Journal June 2011 29
Page 1: Journal THE POLICE ASSOCIATION VICT
Page 5 and 6: PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Ramping up ou
Page 7 and 8: SECRETARY’S MESSAGE Police Associ
Page 9 and 10: IR News Members win on excess trave
Page 11 and 12: How you can take action for decent
Page 13 and 14: You have your say And the answer is
Page 15: OBITuARY Sergeant Rod Hiam was a va
Page 18 and 19: In THEIR HONOur In Their Honour Sen
Page 20 and 21: There is a place for law CRICOS Pro
Page 22 and 23: FINANCE Superannuation and relation
Page 24 and 25: wALL TO wALL Ride for Remembrance T
Page 26 and 27: For an event to remember, let Caulf
Page 28 and 29: AROuND THE COuNTRY NATIONAL Round-u
Page 32 and 33: ExECuTIVE MINuTES LEFT TO RIGHT: Pa
Page 34 and 35: Your SAY Your say > Email journal@t
Page 36: WHY CONSIDER a KIT HOME Many countr
Page 39 and 40: Egypt Discovering VIC Police Cultur

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