Members of Victoria Police are mulling a vote of no confidence in the force’s leaders as a pay dispute drags on, with frustrated officers using a helicopter in industrial action.
It’s understood a group of police are discussing holding a vote and are gauging opinions from members across the force.
It comes as long-running negotiations between the Police Association and Victoria Police over a new industrial agreement continue.
On Tuesday, a police helicopter was seen circling a government press conference as members angry over the pay fight descended on the area in police cars.
The media event was in Werribee in the city’s west, where a by-election will be held next month.
Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said members in the chopper “were probably searching for a fair pay rise”.
Police are considering a vote of no confidence in the force’s leaders as a pay dispute drags on. (Con Chronis/AAP PHOTOS)
“They want this dispute to go away quickly, they’ve quickly come to realise that the only place the government’s probably going to listen to them is in the electorate of Werribee,” he said on Tuesday.
“Because their phone calls aren’t being returned, their letters aren’t being answered and they’re begging (for) the government to come to the table.”
In a statement, Victoria Police said it was aware the Air Wing circled above a government press conference as part of industrial action and the force was making further inquiries about the circumstances of the matter.
Last week, the Fair Work Commission knocked back a bid for the body to get involved and finalise the new industrial agreement, however the fight has since returned to the commission.
Victorian Roads Minister Melissa Horne said she was aware Victoria Police was looking into the incident involving the police helicopter.
“The union and Victoria Police will be back in the commission later this week, which is the appropriate place for these matters to be resolved,” she told reporters on Wednesday.
“But let’s be really clear, the Victorian government stands ready to provide police with the resourcing that they need.”
The sky-high incident was the latest in a long list of demonstrations, with Victorian police and transit police union members undertaking more than a dozen stop-work actions at stations and academies in recent months.
The union wants a 24 per cent pay rise across four years and an end to unpaid overtime.
The union and the force came to an agreement in May 2024 on a nine-day fortnight and 16 per cent pay rise across four years, however union members rejected it.