Police officers say they feel disrespected by the Victorian government in a protracted pay dispute as hundreds launched a series of strikes for the first time in more than two decades.
Officers at the police academy in Glen Waverley and Broadmeadows police station walked off their posts for 30-minute blocks on Thursday as part of a series of stop-work meetings.
More than 400 personnel marched out the front of the academy and down the street, bearing banners and signs that read, "breaking point" and "over worked, undervalued, always there".
Senior management did not appreciate the work officers were doing in a job that is getting more complex and with added accountability, Sergeant Justin Polwarth, a 30-year police veteran, said.
"They're struggling to get people through the door, and even when they do, they're leaving at a quicker rate. There's a problem," he said.
"We're certainly loving our workmates, but that top end love has dried up a bit. And when it comes to a government point-of-view, we're not feeling totally respected by the government."
Police want a 24 per cent pay rise over the next four years and the introduction of 8.5-hour shifts.
In May, an in-principle agreement was reached with officers for a nine-day fortnight and a 16 per cent pay rise over four years, but police union members voted against the deal.
The long-running pay battle is now before the Fair Work Commission after the force asked it to intervene.
Treasurer and Industrial Relations Minister Tim Pallas said the government would attempt to justify their "fair and generous" offer before the commission, which is expected to make a ruling by the end of the year.
"Our processes from here is if you reach an in-principle agreement, then the government will not be making further and better offers," Mr Pallas told reporters on Thursday.
"We will then put the matter through Fair Work, through its intractable bargaining processes, in order to determine what is an appropriate outcome."
Victorian Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said the turnout by union members sent a clear message to the government that they were demanding to be respected.
"The government's clearly got the capacity to pay more, so just pay it," he told reporters.
"Don't suffer police the indignity of having to beg at the Fair Work Commission. They shouldn't have to."
Mr Gatt warned other states were attracting prospective officers with more lucrative pay and conditions.
NSW officers will become the best paid in the nation following a "generational" pay deal which lifts wages at least 25 per cent, while Queensland Police offers a $20,000 relocation payments for recruits.
Premier Jacinta Allan said Victoria Police deserve a pay rise but members had turned down the deal.
Opposition police spokesman Brad Battin accused the government of the "ultimate disrespect" and called on them to intervene in negotiations to resolve the issue.
"For the treasurer to turn around and say, 'oh, we can up the pay only if we're forced to', is actually highlighting the disrespect they've got to Victoria Police," he said.
Frontline policing services will be maintained during the strike periods, a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
"Victoria Police remains committed to securing an agreement that recognises the challenges of policing and is fair for police and protective services officers," the spokesperson said.
