NSW police threaten to waive fines
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:55 pm
NSW police threaten to waive fines
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-na ... -dyhi.html
NSW police will waive fines indefinitely as they fight a state government wage proposal that will remove protections for injured officers.
The NSW opposition is urging the government to end the pay dispute, saying it'll cost the state $2 million a week.
The government wants officer to sacrifice sick leave and death and disability allowances to fund a pay rise of four per cent - an offer the Police Association has rejected.
At a meeting in Sydney on Monday, 200 officers voted to push ahead with the fine blackout, the second in a month.
From August 3 there will be a "open ended" fine-free period, with police refusing to write tickets for a range of misdemeanours, including traffic offences.
"(Police) will use their discretion as to whether they will write (a ticket), or give a caution or if (an offence) is serious enough, they will place people directly before the court," association president Bob Pritchard told AAP.
"Obviously, we would never put the community at risk but we need to show the government that we are very serious."
Mr Pritchard said police were reluctant to take such action "but we have to give the government a wake-up call".
"They (the government) are trying to take away protections if they are injured, and other associated things," he said.
"We can't understand why."
The fine protest is the latest salvo in the long-running pay dispute, which saw police refuse to issue traffic fines for a week at the beginning of July.
The association says the removal of protections for injured workers would financially cripple officers hurt on the job.
Under the current award, police injured on the job receive full pay until they return to work or exit the force.
If the government proposal is adopted, injured police would be on full pay for only 26 weeks.
Police Minister Tony Kelly admitted he was disappointed about the industrial action but said others emergency services, such as the NSW Fire Brigades, had agreed to cost savings to pay for salary increases.
Under government policy, any public sector rise over 2.5 per cent had to be funded by efficiencies.
A cost savings strategy was put forward by the Police Association but was rejected by the NSW government.
"It is a concern, however, the police can't be treated any differently to the Fire Brigades, the nurses," Mr Kelly told Macquarie Radio.
Opposition police spokesman Mike Gallacher called on Premier Nathan Rees to intervene, saying the situation had "spiralled out of control".
Mr Gallacher, a former police officer, questioned why the government was pushing for injury protections to be cut.
"I believe that police perform an extraordinary role in our communities, and their benefits should reflect the dangerous work they do," Mr Gallacher said.
"I don't believe the government has acted in good faith in relation to these negotiations."
He said if the dispute was not resolved, it would significantly hit state coffers.
"Whether we like it or not, fines coming out of the NSW police account for around about $2 million a week," he said.
"That's a significant hit for NSW bottom-line."
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-na ... -dyhi.html
NSW police will waive fines indefinitely as they fight a state government wage proposal that will remove protections for injured officers.
The NSW opposition is urging the government to end the pay dispute, saying it'll cost the state $2 million a week.
The government wants officer to sacrifice sick leave and death and disability allowances to fund a pay rise of four per cent - an offer the Police Association has rejected.
At a meeting in Sydney on Monday, 200 officers voted to push ahead with the fine blackout, the second in a month.
From August 3 there will be a "open ended" fine-free period, with police refusing to write tickets for a range of misdemeanours, including traffic offences.
"(Police) will use their discretion as to whether they will write (a ticket), or give a caution or if (an offence) is serious enough, they will place people directly before the court," association president Bob Pritchard told AAP.
"Obviously, we would never put the community at risk but we need to show the government that we are very serious."
Mr Pritchard said police were reluctant to take such action "but we have to give the government a wake-up call".
"They (the government) are trying to take away protections if they are injured, and other associated things," he said.
"We can't understand why."
The fine protest is the latest salvo in the long-running pay dispute, which saw police refuse to issue traffic fines for a week at the beginning of July.
The association says the removal of protections for injured workers would financially cripple officers hurt on the job.
Under the current award, police injured on the job receive full pay until they return to work or exit the force.
If the government proposal is adopted, injured police would be on full pay for only 26 weeks.
Police Minister Tony Kelly admitted he was disappointed about the industrial action but said others emergency services, such as the NSW Fire Brigades, had agreed to cost savings to pay for salary increases.
Under government policy, any public sector rise over 2.5 per cent had to be funded by efficiencies.
A cost savings strategy was put forward by the Police Association but was rejected by the NSW government.
"It is a concern, however, the police can't be treated any differently to the Fire Brigades, the nurses," Mr Kelly told Macquarie Radio.
Opposition police spokesman Mike Gallacher called on Premier Nathan Rees to intervene, saying the situation had "spiralled out of control".
Mr Gallacher, a former police officer, questioned why the government was pushing for injury protections to be cut.
"I believe that police perform an extraordinary role in our communities, and their benefits should reflect the dangerous work they do," Mr Gallacher said.
"I don't believe the government has acted in good faith in relation to these negotiations."
He said if the dispute was not resolved, it would significantly hit state coffers.
"Whether we like it or not, fines coming out of the NSW police account for around about $2 million a week," he said.
"That's a significant hit for NSW bottom-line."
