Recruiting
A cadet course scheduled to begin in March 2003 was
cancelled. The next intake of cadets is scheduled for June 2003. This means
that Course 50 is the only one currently guaranteed to graduate in the first
six months of the 2003-04 financial year – on August 13.
The attrition rate of police officers in the last three years
is, from July to August, 43 on average.
The attrition rate of police officers in the last three years
is, from July to December, 98 on average.
Course 50, which graduates in August, has 19 members.
If course 51 goes ahead as planned – with an average of
25 members – then only 44 cadets will be available to replace an average
of 98 departures in the first six months of the next financial year.
Those who work in core duties know only too well the
difficulties currently experienced because of lack of staff. It will be worse
by year’s end.
The Police Association has written to the Minister of Police
and Commissioner of Police requesting the rationale for the cancellation of the
March cadet course, as well as a list of scheduled recruit intakes for the
2003-04 financial year. We have all been told in police studies how proper
planning prevents poor performance. One might wonder how a performance outcome
review on the decision to cancel the March cadet course would be viewed –
fiscally responsible, perhaps.
On-call guidelines
After extensive negotiations between PASA and SAPOL, on-call
guidelines were ratified in the SA Industrial Relations Commission on March 19,
2003 (see PASA General Newsletter 07/03). These guidelines have been
inserted into the enterprise agreement 2001 as attachment four.
They are to be applied to all working arrangements made
pursuant to clause 13 of the Police Officers Award and Clause 8 of EA 2001, and
now form an important part of members’ conditions of service.
Regardless of the lengthy delays in reaching this agreed
position, it does indicate that the parties can work together to achieve
improved and/or clearly articulated conditions of service. Unfortunately, PASA
remains at odds with SAPOL over the conditions of service and guidelines for
members working in one- and two-person stations. PASA has now moved to vary the
Police Officers Award to protect these workers from abuse.
Salary sacrifice
Effective from April 1, 2003 amended salary sacrifice
arrangements will apply for public sector employees (including executive level)
whose enterprise agreements provide for salary sacrifice. Those who want to
learn more about these arrangements can visit
http://www.ocpe.sa.gov.au/publications/salary_sacrifice/
to obtain an explanation on how these changes may affect them.
