After years of fruitless discussions, more than 12 days of hearings in the Industrial Relations Commission, and despite a change in Government in March of this year, the NSW Police Force (NSWPF) has not provided any financial relief in time for Christmas for Special Constables.
Despite recent announcements that the Government and the NSWPF have commenced paying Student Police Officers while they study at Goulburn Police Academy a base salary higher than a Senior Special Constable of $1,360 per week (equivalent to an annual salary of $70,720), there has been no announcement in relation to their dedicated current Special Constable employees.
While the PSA supports the decision to pay Student Police Officers, it is a fact that NSWPF is willing to find up to $32 million per year to fund this initiative, but is unwilling to increase Special Constables salaries at an estimated cost of $2.5 million per year.
Special Constables Deserve Respect
NSWPF has consistently opposed any salary increase for Special Constables. However, it does have the ability to resolve the matter at any time, by offering a fair and reasonable pay increase for Special Constables to consider. NSWPF has instead preferred to engage costly Legal Counsel in a case requiring 12 days of hearings over the past four months.
Over the past 20 years Police Special Constables have been forced to undertake additional and more complex duties and have been deployed with more weapons and appointments with no recognition or additional pay to reflect these duties. Meanwhile successive Commissioners and Ministers have seen their salaries increase by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Worksite visits
NSW Police Special Constables have previously walked off the job under the previous Liberal Government in relation to this issue. Your PSA Organiser will be visiting all sites over the next couple of weeks to discuss the current state of play, and explore what further action members might be willing to take.