Yesterday’s well-attended special meeting of combined emergency services union members delivered an emphatic message to Government to ‘Protect the Protectors’ and to keep its ‘Hands off our Super!’
The meeting represents the start of what will be an ongoing campaign to ensure the Government does not proceed with plans to place ESSS at risk by merging it with the Government Superannuation Office (GSO) scheme, which is unfunded to the tune of $12 billion.
All seven motions considered by members at the meeting were carried, as follows;
1. “THIS COMBINED MEETING OF EMERGENCY SERVICES UNION MEMBERS EXPRESSES IT OUTRAGE AND TOTALLY CONDEMNS THE CURRENT AND ANY FUTURE PROPOSAL OF THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT TO MERGE THE EMERGENCY SERVICES SUPERANNUATION SCHEME (“ESSS”) WITH THE GOVERNMENT SUPERANNUATION OFFICE (“GSO”) SCHEME.”
2. “THIS COMBINED MEETING OF EMERGENCY SERVICES UNION MEMBERS DEMANDS FROM GOVERNMENT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HIGH LEVEL JOINT WORKING PARTY TO EXAMINE THE FOLLOWING:
A STRUCTURE OF THE PROPOSED BOARD AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT;
B COMMON LAW DEED OF AGREEMENT TO PRESERVE DEFINED BENEFITS FOR CURRENT RETIRED AND FUTURE MEMBERS;
C FINANCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT TO BE INCLUDED IN ANY CABINET DOCUMENTATION;
D MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON SERVICE DELIVERY TO OUR MEMBERS;
E EFFICIENCIES.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH WORKING PARTY TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE JOINT EMERGENCY SERVICES UNIONS INCLUDING FAIR AND REASONABLE TIMELINES TO ALLOW FOR OPEN, HONEST AND TRANSPARENT NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE PARTIES”.
3. “THIS COMBINED MEETING OF EMERGENCY SERVICES UNION MEMBERS AUTHORISES THEIR RESPECTIVE UNION EXECUTIVES TO FORMULATE AN INDUSTRIAL ACTION STRATEGY AND FURTHER THIS MEETING AUTHORISES EACH RESPECTIVE UNION EXECUTIVES TO IMPLEMENT THE STRATEGY AT A DATE THEY DETERMINE TO BE APPROPRIATE.”
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4. “BASED ON THE PERFORMANCE OF FINANCE MINISTER LENDERS IN RELATION TO THIS DISPUTE, THIS COMBINED MEETING OF EMERGENCY SERVICES UNION MEMBERS CALLS ON HIM TO IMMEDIATELY RESIGN.”
5. “THIS MEETING CALLS ON THE MINSITER FOR POLICE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, TIM HOLDING AND THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH, BRONWYN PIKE TO SUPPORT THE EMERGENCY SERVICES UNION MEMBERS IN THEIR CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT THE MERGER OF ESSS AND GSO.”
6. “THIS MEETING CALLS ON THE FOLLOWING TO ACTIVELY AND PUBLICLY ADVOCATE, INCLUDING THE LOBBYING OF GOVERNMENT FOR THE RETENTION OF THE AUTONOMY OF ESSS IN ITS CURRENT FORM:
· CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MS CHRISTINE NIXON;
· THE CEO OF THE METROPOLITAN FIRE BRIGADE, MR PETER AKERS;
· THE CEO OF THE METROPOLITAN AMBULANCE SERVICE, MR GREG SASSELLA;
· THE CEO OF RURAL AMBULANCE VICTORIA, MR DOUG KIMBERLEY;
· THE CEO OF THE COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, MR NEIL BIBBY.”
7. “THAT THIS COMBINED MEETING OF EMERGENCY SERVICES UNION MEMBERS, ENDORSES AN IMMEDIATE CALL TO INDUSTRIAL ACTION IN SUPPORT OF ANY DELEGATE OR MEMBER, WHO WHILST IN THE COURSE OF THEIR PARTICIPATION, IN ANY PART OF THIS CAMPAIGN, HAS THEIR EMPLOYMENT THREATENED, ALTERED OR INJURED TO THEIR PREJUDICE.”
Members will continue to be regularly updated on the progress of any further discussions between the combined unions and Government.
In line with the above resolutions, the Association has written to the Government in an attempt to further progress this matter. We have also written to the Chief Commissioner to seek her support for our campaign to protect our members’ superannuation, as per one of the above resolutions.
In line with the third resolution, members will be advised if / when it is necessary to escalate our campaign to the point of implementing a course of industrial action.
The Police Association sincerely thanks all delegates and members who attended the meeting and for their passionate display of support for this very important cause.
PAUL MULLETT
Secretary
