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Western Australia's police union has rejected the McGowan government's pay and conditions offer, describing it as a "joke" that has left members angry, while setting the scene for further industrial action.
Key points:
- The union will take its case to the industrial umpire on Friday
- It has given the government until November 18 to present a revised offer
- The Premier says there is no need for industrial action
Police Union president Mick Kelly blasted the government's offer as practically indistinguishable from the state's existing wages policy.
The union will push for higher wages and improved conditions in an Industrial Relations Commission hearing on Friday, as members continue their month of escalating industrial action.
They will join nurses in facing off against the government before the industrial watchdog to try and break an impasse in their ongoing disputes.
Union wants five per cent annual pay rise
Premier Mark McGowan said on Monday there was no need for industrial action by police because the government wanted to pay them "significantly more".
The government has offered officers an annual pay increase of three per cent over two years, with a one-off $3000 payment, as well as a small increase to night shift pay – but not weekends.
The union wants a five per cent annual pay rise and a "right to disconnect", limiting texts and calls outside work hours.
At a media conference today, Mr Kelly also said members wanted overtime to be paid as double time, and a significant increase to all their penalties.
He confirmed the police union board had voted to reject the government's offer.
Government 'tone-deaf': Union boss
"The government, in a completely tone-deaf manner, have provided us with a pay offer that's practically undisguisable from their existing wages policy; one we've already made it loud and clear we don't accept," Mr Kelly said, reading from a prepared statement.
In answer to questions, Mr Kelly described the offer as "a joke".
"This offer is crap," he said. "It is disappointing. It is...our members are angry, our board is angry, I'm angry.
"But I will say, come to the table, bring us your best offer, listen to our list of demands in our log of claim and let's resolve this so we can go back to serving the members of the community and getting on with policing."
The union has invited the government to present a revised offer before November 18.
Mr Kelly said officers had gone "above and beyond" in their duty during and after the pandemic and deserved better.
"People don't want to be doing the hours that they are doing, they don't want to fear being king hit, like that poor officer did in Hillarys, for the measly shift penalties and the lack of substantial meal claims," he said.
The union board will meet again on November 21 to consider potential further actions.
The state government described the fact it hadn't been able to reach an agreement with the union as "disappointing".
“The state government will continue to bargain in good faith to seek an agreement," a spokesperson said.
Nurses return to IRC
Meanwhile, WA's nurses union returned to the state's industrial umpire today for a second round of negotiations over its pay and conditions offer.
Australian Nursing Federation WA secretary Janet Reah said efforts to get the government to budge on its pay offer – the greater of a $60 a week or a three-per-cent raise – were becoming increasingly futile.
"A lot of the other unions have already accepted that offer, so we haven't got that strength in numbers that we would have had five months ago," she said.
"It's probably [at a] point that we will have to go back to the three [per cent] on the headline wage policy, but we've tried to make it up in other ways."
That could include free parking for nurses, pushing all nurses and midwives further up the pay scale, and other changes to conditions.
Union members started the next escalation in their industrial action today, with part-time nurses and midwives refusing to work more than their contracted days.
But ANF CEO Mark Olson flagged that action could be accelerated if negotiations did not move quickly enough.
"Nurses are saying 'hey, skip a couple of steps and let's just go straight to a strike', so let's just see what comes out of the hearing today," he said.
Upon emerging from the meeting Mr Olson confirmed nurses were still planning to escalate their industrial action to "rolling stoppages" from next Wednesday, and said the ANF would provide more details on Thursday.
Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson continued to ask the union to call off action – which now includes bans on overtime, double shifts and caring for patients in hallways.
"This action is unnecessary while we are actively and productively negotiating," she said in a statement.
"The state government continues to bargain in good faith."