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Earlier this week, the official Queensland Police Union page on Facebook shared a post to mark the in-principle signing of a workplace agreement with the state government. Then the negative comments, from their own members, began to arrive.
Queensland Police Union secretary Shane Prior said the service was ready for change, welcoming the review’s findings and 65 recommendations.Credit: Catherine Strohfeldt
Despite turning off the ability to comment on the post, and hiding those there, 630 of the 720 reactions are angry face emojis.
The post paints a picture of the frustrations within the ranks. In a note to members last night, union president Shane Prior reiterated the 3 per cent rise this year, and 2.5 per cent for each of the next two, was an “insulting” state wages offer to all public servants.
Prior said that despite this, the “completely inflexible” position of the government, and threats of withheld backpay if bargaining dragged on, he said the negotiation team had managed to win an extra $163 million above the initial offer through penalty rates, allowances, and an $8000 retention bonus “that are not being offered to the rest of the public service”.
He said the in-principle agreement had the unanimous support of the union executive, and “could not proceed without the endorsement of all regional representatives”. Presentations across the state will kick off from next week, where members will be able to ask questions.
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Prior also noted that members ultimately had the final say when they vote on the agreement in September. If rejected, talks would then enter arbitration via the Industrial Relations Commission – where the government has already sent stalled nurses and teachers talks.
Unlike the nurses, teachers, and all other union members in the state, police are restricted in what kind of industrial action they are allowed to take to pressure the government for better pay and conditions – including the ability to strike.
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