Victoria Police officers have used the police airwing to disrupt a government press conference in Werribee this morning as part of ongoing industrial action. Police command is investigating why the chopper was used to circle over the event at a local childcare centre.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00A hard-to-ignore message from above.
00:06Police today took their pay dispute to the sky, hovering over the Acting Premier's
00:11delayed and disrupted press conference in Werribee.
00:15Welcome everyone to Wallaby Childcare here in Windham Vale.
00:20While police cars with flashing lights were parked outside the childcare centre, the air
00:25wing circled overhead, initially drowning out the speakers before eventually flying
00:30away.
00:31They were probably searching for a fair pay rise to be quite honest.
00:34According to Victoria Police documents, the use of a police helicopter for a public event
00:39costs at least $10,000.
00:42In a statement, Victoria Police said it was aware the air wing was circling above a government
00:46press conference, understood to be part of industrial action and will make further enquiries
00:52about the use of the chopper.
00:54It's the latest escalation in a long-running police pay dispute.
00:57Look, we are committed to giving our police every resource, including a pay rise.
01:06Union members are demanding a 24% pay rise over four years and improved conditions.
01:12Why don't the government sit with the Victoria Police like they did with the nurses, ambulance
01:16teachers, and come to a deal?
01:19After months of industrial action, the unions turned its attention to Werribee, where a
01:23by-election is due in February, prompted by the resignation of the Treasurer last year.
01:29We've come to realise that the only place the government's probably going to listen
01:32to them is in the electorate of Werribee.
01:35They've made a, in effect, a 6% wages claim.
01:40I'm constrained by a 3% wages policy.
01:42The reality is, I don't have the money to pay them what they're asking.
01:47The pay dispute will go to the Fair Work Commission for a conciliation hearing this Thursday,
01:52but it remains unclear whether that will result in a deal.