Unauthorised police helicopter used in pay dispute stunt

The EBA negotiations are heading to the Fair Work Commission for conciliation talks later this week. Earlier this month, the commission decided not to intervene in the increasingly bitter pay dispute, which has been going for more than 18 months.
The Police Association is demanding a 24 per cent pay rise over four years and an end to unpaid overtime. The union has been unable to come to an agreement with Victoria Police and is calling for the government to provide a better offer.
Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt. Credit: Christopher Hopkins
Association secretary Wayne Gatt said officers were becoming increasingly frustrated.
“Our members are out there searching for a pay deal at the end of the day,” said Gatt.
“They want this dispute to go away quickly, but look, they’ve quickly come to realise that the only place the government’s probably going to listen to them is in the electorate of Werribee because their phone calls aren’t being returned.”
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Gatt said police officers were vexed that the government had not been able to solve the dispute and at Victoria Police’s inability to get a deal done quickly.
The state government and opposition are frequently visiting Werribee, ahead of a crucial byelection in the electorate, following former treasurer Tim Pallas’ resignation late last year.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin, a former police officer, said: “The Police Association, for 18 months, have been trying to get the government to the table.”
The government was contacted for comment.
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