“Be fair: we protect you, so please protest us.” That’s the message from two Batemans Bay officers to the NSW Government.
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This week, a bill has been put to State Parliament to cut NSW police officers pay by 35 per cent when they are injured and forced out of work while they recover.
The push to get the changes passed through today, before Parliament breaks for summer, has outraged Batemans Bay officer and union member Toby Lindsay, who will be directly affected by the changes.
He has been through spinal fusions and disc replacements after he injured his spine in a car accident in 2004.
Mr Lindsay is one of eight officers in the Far South Coast Local Area Command on leave because of injury.
During 18 years in the force, he’s been spat on, kicked, punched, had his teeth chipped, kicked in the groin, had faeces, urine, rocks and bottles thrown at him, and been in an accident where he was knocked out and pulled from a burning car.
“And you know what? I’m a normal cop,” he said. “That’s the standard for a uniform police officer who has done any more than 10 to 15-years on the road.”
Despite the downsides, he loves the job.
“You take the job the good with the bad. And that’s the bad. And the good thing is that when you’re injured, they’ll pay your bills until you get better.”
About 5000 police officers rallied outside Parliament House on Tuesday, protesting the proposed cuts to their Death and Disability Scheme.
Mr Lindsay said this turn-out was a third of the NSW Police Force.
NSW Police Association Batemans Bay branch administrator Stephen Lovegrove said the government’s proposed changes meant injured police who can’t return to work because of an injury, would only receive 65 per cent of their normal pay in compensation, after being off the job for about a year.
Mr Lovegrove said police officers were like cars, and that they would be paid until they were repaired and in working condition.
“But they’re treating us like refrigerators and just want to chuck us out,” he said.
Mr Lindsay said they didn’t want the bill scrapped - they wanted it withdrawn so negotiations could continue between the union and government.
“There are alternatives,” Mr Lindsay said.
