The state government has made an outrageous offer to the police in the present round of pay negotiations.
The government insists that pay increases to government employees be limited to 2.5%, but is offering the police a 4% increase - provided they accept a pay reduction for those injured on duty who are off work for more than six months.
Policing is a dangerous job. Police need to subdue violent offenders and in many cases knives or firearms are involved. This is illustrated by the experience of Sergeant Stephen de Lorenzo, who was shot in the shoulder during a recent pub siege. The wound will heal, but this officer put his life on the line and it was sheer luck that he was not more seriously injured.
Sergeant de Lorenzo is already out of pocket because he was wounded in the course of duty. He is receiving full pay, but because he is on sick leave he misses out on $ 200 a day shift allowance.
Now the government is expecting officers with more serious injuries to take a further pay cut in exchange for a few more dollars a week now. That is not a reasonable proposition - and it is being fiercely rejected by the police association.
Police - like everyone else - have mortgages, a family to house and feed, kids to bring up and educate. Like firemen - they are in a dangerous occupation and the public expects a response in circumstances which involve personal risk.
This pay cut suggestion is typical of the thinking of politicians - but just imagine the uproar if someone suggested that politicians pay be cut during any period when they were unable to carry out their duties due to illness !
The police have every right to reject this stupid idea !
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