The Police Association has served an industrial claim on the Victoria Police Force and the Victorian Government on behalf of all members for the period of the Commonwealth Games in March 2006.

The claim seeks to guarantee specific working standards and conditions for members working directly at the games such as travel, accommodation, and facilities at venues.

We also aim to achieve compensation for all members during the games period, as all members will face various disturbances due to their requirement to work during the period of the games. The compensatory claim put forward by the Association on behalf of all members includes four (4) days additional leave for all members and a payment of $100 per day of the games.

Discussions that have taken place to date between the parties have resulted in the resolution of accommodation for country members who will be required to reside in Melbourne during the games. Negotiations are progressing well in relation to issues such as facilities for members at games venues and travel arrangements for metropolitan-based members.

The only matters where no progress has been made relate to those surrounding compensation for members (additional payment and leave days). The Victoria Police Force and the Government are of the view that no special compensation for members is warranted because the games don't impose significant disruption to them. The Association strongly disagrees and will continue to fight hard to achieve a decent level of compensation for all members because all members will incur some form of disruption during the games period.

We believe the following provides reasons why members deserve special compensation for working during the games period.

• No transfers and promotion will take place from January 2006 until after the games.
• The leave embargo that will apply to all members coincides with school holidays.
• Some 2000 members per day will be committed to working at games venues
• Around 350 country / regional members will be redeployed during the games
• Members not directly involved with the games will be burdened with added workload at stations due to members deployed at the games.
• Our members have been previously compensated for events where the entire membership has been subjected to a leave embargo and disruption, such as New Year's Eve 1999 (Millennium) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) in September 2000.

We will keep members updated on the progress of this claim on behalf of all members.

Paul Mullett
Secretary