June edition - The Police Association Victoria

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Ramping up our Enterprise
Bargaining Campaign
At time of writing, the Baillieu
Government has still not come
to its senses and settled our
enterprise bargaining agreement.
As of early June, pending the
outcome of the ballot, we will be forced to
take protected industrial action to support
our claim. The Police Association claim
is very reasonable, well researched and
approved by the membership. The vast
majority of members understand the
rationale behind our claim. We held out the
olive branch to the government to settle
a new enterprise bargaining deal quickly
by not making outlandish ambit claims.
The message loud and clear from our
membership was to make a fair claim for
a monetary increase with improvements
in terms and conditions. We all thought that
we would now be able to make a clean break
from having to lock horns and fight every
inch of the way for a fair outcome. By now,
you have taken the first step and voted
on the industrial action strategies in the
compulsory Fair Work Act ballot we all now
have to act to support your vote.
Right now, unless there has been an 11th
hour change of heart by the Government,
we will have just commenced industrial
action. The actions outlined at the Special
General meeting in May are designed to
have maximum impact on the government
but with minimal impact on our community.
But to reinforce our right to a fair pay
increase, we need each and every member
to support the authorised industrial actions.
I encourage all members to support each
other to ensure the Government feels the
impact of less revenue in their coffers and
less statistical data they gather to sell off
to the highest bidder.
We are now beyond talking, it is time
for action. Do your bit to support your
colleagues now and in the future.
Inquiry into Executive
leadership of Victoria Police
Recent events involving Executive leadership
of Victoria Police have highlighted many
festering issues about how the Victoria
Police Force has been managed in recent
years. Many members have come forward
to the Police Association with examples
of mal-administration, outlandish waste
of money, ill-conceived projects offering
no value to the community or the way we
police - other than perhaps to push careers
along, nepotism and cover ups rather than
open, honest and transparent administrative
practices. Some members have estimated
the money wasted could have employed
hundreds, if not thousands of extra sworn
police officers. Others bemoan inept
leadership practices causing delays in
responses to community needs due to a lack
of knowledge or understanding.
We are all sick and tired of policing in
Victoria getting away from its core principles
and lessening the service we can provide.
Brian Rix > PRESIDENT
We are now beyond
talking, it is time
for action. Do your
bit to support your
colleagues now and
in the future.
Once upon a time, executive decisions
were founded on very simple philosophies
− Is the decision going to make the job
easier for operational police? Is the decision
going to provide a better service to the
community? Is the decision fair and just?
Is the decision achievable? I’m sure many
members can point out examples where
executive decisions have failed on all counts.
At the request of many members, the Police
Association ran an online poll, the result
showed a resounding lack of confidence
in the current direction of Victoria Police
executive leadership. Your Police Association
supports the ‘Rush inquiry’ and hope that
it will point out past deficiencies and act
as a blue print for the future of Executive
Leadership for the Victoria Police Force.
The Police Association Victoria Journal June 2011
03