NSW Police Special Constables, who protect critical infrastructure like police installations and Parliament House, are considering industrial action on the eve of Christmas after two years of pay discussions.
The NSW Police Special Constables who protect ministers, politicians and police are paid as low as $59,000 a year, over $20,000 less than a probationary police officer, and $10,000 less than a prison officer or sheriff.
In 2015 it was a NSW Police Special Constable who shot the terrorist who murdered police accountant Curtis Chang outside NSW Police Headquarters in Parramatta.
PSA General Secretary Stewart Little says it's incredible NSW Police Special Constables are asked to take a bullet for the Premier but are only paid $59,000.
"Would you take a bullet for $59,000?," says Stewart Little.
"I know I wouldn't.
"Special Constables would take a bullet for the Premier and senior Ministers but yet they are paid a pittance.
"Senior Ministers in the Minns Government have to look these Special Constables in the eye every morning when they arrive at work.
"Over the past 20 years Police Special Constables have been forced to undertake additional and more complex duties and been deployed with more weapons and appointments with no recognition or additional pay to reflect these increased duties.
"These officers have been ignored by successive commissioners and police ministers who have seen their own salaries increase by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"NSW Police Special Constables are paid as low as $59,000 which is over $20,000 less than a probationary police constable, that's wrong.
"We've had years of discussions with NSW Police and 12 days of expensive hearings at the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.
"NSW Police Special Constables have had enough of being disrespected.
"Several weeks ago the government correctly managed to find money to pay trainee NSW police constables $1,360 a week when training at Goulburn, which will cost $32 million a year, but they can't find $2.5 million a year to give NSW Police Special Constables a pay rise.
"NSW Police Special Constables have had a gutful and are ready and willing to take industrial action," says Stewart Little.
There are approximately 200 Special Constables employed in the NSW Police Service who have the same appointments and are conferred the same powers as police officers and wear a similar uniform including carrying a handgun (to a layperson they look like police officers).
