Members
I am pleased today to inform you after drawn out and robust negotiations we now have a formal, negotiated offer, for your pay and conditions for the next 4 years. This offer has been considered by your elected PANSW Executive.
They have determined to put this offer to a vote of the membership with a recommendation to vote yes.
Did we achieve everything we set out to achieve? No, we set the bar high and for very good reason. I can tell you in my view, for the vast majority of members, this is generational change to your Award. As a result of the negotiations all non commissioned officers will receive increases over the 4 years between 22.3% and 39.4%, not including shift allowances or the new allowance for those who train our probationary constables.
Commissioned Officers will receive increases between 20.5% and 27.1% which is inclusive of salary, the Leadership retention payment of $5400 and increases, this Award will bring to their 12.5% annual contract non-renewal benefit.
The overall Award increase is complex. This is not just adding a percentage to your salary and current pay scale.
The suite of benefits included in this offer have to be looked at, in its entirety:
- from the percentage pay rise to the compressed increments where every member will reach the top level in a much shorter timeframe,
- the increases to all shift penalties of 26.26%,
- the leadership retention payments of $5400 for our most long serving Senior Constables and Sergeants along with Commissioned police officers in our workplaces.
- increases to all allowances and the inclusion of the new Field Training Officer Allowance for those who train our next generation of cops.
This will see over 10,000 NCO’s receive a pay rise during this Award of 25% or greater.
Also, for our most experienced long serving senior constables in all duty types you will, in the first year of this Award, be automatically progressed into the Leading Senior Constable pay grade giving you an additional increase in salary of over $4500 per annum, which is in addition to any % increase. Overall this provides an 8% increase in the first year alone.
By July 2027 a top level Senior Constable, who works a rotating roster will earn over $150,000 per annum plus 12% superannuation.
This offer also removes overlapping pay scales, by making first year promoted officers salaries now at least 7% higher under this Award offer.
By July 2027, a top level Sergeant who works a rotating roster after 4 years on rank, will earn over $170,000 plus 12% superannuation.
Members, this offer exceeds any other Police jurisdiction across the country. This offer will see the highest pay increases achieved in the last 30 years for NSW Police. This offer outstrips what we have seen accepted by other public sector agencies.
To see what this Award offer means for your individual circumstances, in dollar terms and percentage value increase to your rank and increment, go to the PANSW salary calculator.
You will see on the screen now, an example of the salary calculator, in this case for a Senior Constable Level 3.
You can see the total % value to your rank. A graph showing the pay increases and incremental progression for each year compared to your current pay scales. You can also see an indicative value of all allowances, including the new field training officer allowance. Below that, you can see the $ figure of your salary each year, and the increase that represents from your current pay as both a $ figure, and a %.
The PANSW website and portal are the only place members will be able to access this information. You must have your login and password to do so.
We will spend the remainder of this week giving all members the opportunity to log in to the PANSW Portal.
Staff and Executive members from the PANSW will be attending Commands all over the state in the coming days, to present the Award to members in more detail and answer your questions, before the vote opens on the 18 November.
The locations and times of these sessions is published on the PANSW website.
If members vote yes, you will receive backpay from 1 July 2024.
Members need to be aware, if a no vote is received, we will go back to the negotiating table with Government, in all likelihood, no further offer would be made, we would be forced into arbitration in the Industrial Relations Commission. This means all negotiated benefits such as the new pay scales and new allowances would be lost. Any change to salary or conditions would now have to be proven in a case before the IRC, this creates a number of problems.
On expert advice, we are unlikely to be able to secure a wage increase as good as what is contained in this offer, in addition to the suite of benefits negotiated. This means back to the Govt wages policy which sits at 3% per annum.
The other disadvantage to members with the IRC is it will be a drawn out process, and would likely extend well into the latter half of 2025. We have seen this approach recently with other emergency services.
The Expert IR advice tells us that this negotiated offer is by far the best outcome possible for police, due to the financial benefit of the changes to the structure of the Award. A major benefit of a negotiated outcome is that the full value of the Award is achieved over the next 30 months.
Members, myself and all your elected Executive believe that this offer Respects, Rewards and will retain police officers. We strongly endorse this offer as the best possible outcome, and we recommend members vote yes.
It’s now over to you, to have your say and vote on this offer.