The PSA appeared at a hearing of the Industrial Relations Commission before Commissioner Webster yesterday. This was in regard to the current campaign by Mounted Police Grooms to work strictly in accordance with their occupation category of Stable Hand/Strapper.

Commissioner Webster recommended  the industrial action cease as soon as reasonably practicable.

Members met this morning and resolved as follows:

• In the light of the ongoing Police operation enforcing the COVID-19 Public Health Orders, and the involvement of the Mounted Police Unit in those operations, the campaign of working strictly in accordance with our occupational category of Stable Hand/Strapper will be temporarily suspended from the start of the day shift on Friday 23 July 2021.
• The suspension will continue for as long as the Police operation to enforce the COVID-19 Public Health Orders continues.
• The suspension is undertaken voluntarily as our contribution to the fight against COVID-19.
• During the suspension we will carry out the duties we performed before the limitations began. We will do a normal workload carrying out these duties – we are not prepared to be loaded up with more than a reasonable amount of work each shift. Uniformed Mounted Police should continue to make their normal contribution to the management of horse, equipment and facilities.
• We continue to insist that, in normal times, Police have no right to direct us to do veterinary, clerical, or any other duties outside of the occupational category of Strapper/Stablehand while ever they continue to pay us bare minimum wages.
• We hope that NSW Police will make use of this pause to reconsider its mean-spirited refusal to raise our pay to parity with Kennel Attendants in the Dog Unit.

Following this decision, the PSA General Secretary has rescinded his direction to members in the Mounted Police Command to cease performing tasks outside their occupational category. Members are advised they should resume their previous duties from the start of Friday 23 July 2021. Further discussions will be held with members in the Mounted Police Command when the scope and duration of the operation to enforce the COVID Public Health orders become clearer.