Retention of current serving police officers is the primary focus for Award 2024
The Police Award concludes on 30 June 2024, with July 2023 delivering the final pay increase of 4.03% (salary) to your salaries and allowances.
Your Association is commencing negotiations with the NSW Labor Government and NSW Police Force on improving the pay and conditions for police officers in NSW for Award 2024, which may be conducted under a new Industrial Relations bargaining framework in NSW.
The PANSW Biennial Conference 2022 provided direction to the PANSW regarding Award 2024, coupled with the significant vacancy rates and the ever-increasing workload pressures currently faced by police officers in NSW.
Retention of current serving police officers is the primary focus for the 2024 Award, which follows the recent recruitment incentives announcement to attract people to policing.
The PANSW will advocate in the strongest possible terms that:
Police officers in NSW are working harder with greater intensity than ever, driving officers to leave. This is not acceptable to retain skilled, respected, and hard-working police officers
The cost of living pressures and interest rate rises are hurting police families
Wages have been capped at 2.5% under the NSW Government wages policy for the past 12 years, sending wages backwards
Teachers were rewarded with their recent pay rise and cops deserve the same level of respect
Police are constantly facing internal and external scrutiny from every angle, combined with the ever-increasing workload of other agencies that is lumped onto NSW Police officers. This is not acceptable, and something needs to change.
Currently, there are over 1,500 vacancies within NSWPF.
The dangers of policing continue to harm officers at alarming rates, increasing the number of officers who are injured or sick. This compounds workload pressures.
Hard working police are over scrutinised, overworked, and burnt-out with ever changing rosters.
Police officers have voiced the ever-changing policy requirements relating to their jobs, for which they receive no additional support, resources, or compensation.
NSWPF has saved significant money on police salaries over the past 12 months with the existing vacancies.
Police officers in NSW place their lives in danger each and every shift dealing with all members of our society.
Police deserve the respect of a fair and decent pay increase in 2024 to keep them in the job they love. Policing must be an attractive career for those who want to join and those who currently serve and protect our communities.
The key to retaining police is increased salaries and allowances, enabling faster progression through the pay scales (without taking a pay reduction if promoted), and rewarding police for training junior staff and remaining in front line duties.
Members have sought improvements in allowances, leave entitlements, transfer costs entitlements, superannuation, roster certainty, uniform, transfer and tenure requirements and First Response Policing Agreements, which are all included in the claim for the next Award.
As the best police force in the country, Police officers in NSW should also be the highest paid. Police deserve a decent pay rise in NSW; pay is a mark of respect and will go a long way to retain the hard-working men and women we have in the NSW Police Force.
Any final pay offer will be subject to a member vote. The vote will likely occur in mid-2024 and will be conducted on the PANSW member portal. Members will be sent instructions on how to login to the portal and vote in the coming weeks with plenty of time before the vote is held.
As the negotiations unfold, members will be updated.
The path leading to Award 2024
Read all about it in this edition of Police News Magazine
Our industrial, legal, and advocacy teams' significant achievements have paved the way for great opportunities for Award 2024.
The latest edition of Police News Magazine looks at how those outcomes build to the next Award.