Officers had been unpaid for work at the beginning and end of each shift undertaken by thousands of members over the past six years, the Police Association of Victoria claims.
The union launched proceedings in the Federal Court on Wednesday demanding Victoria Police repay the wages for current and former officers.
The claim relates to officers arriving for work about 30 minutes earlier to undertake required pre-work activities, including changing into uniform, collecting and preparing equipment such as guns, tasers and breathalysers, and inspecting and preparing police cars for patrols.Â
Victoria's police union has launched legal proceedings over unpaid wages. (Diego Fedele/AAP PHOTOS)
Members then need to go into briefings before starting their shifts, then repeat the process in reverse at the end of the shift.
Victoria Police have been relying on officers working for free to meet the demands for policing around the clock, union secretary Wayne Gatt said.
"This claim is potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars, money that should already be sitting in the bank accounts of our hard-working members," he said.
"Our members are driven by their commitment to the safety of the community, but they are workers, not philanthropists.
"Victoria Police refuses to give them back this time, so they must compensate them for it."
The union sent a letter of demand to Victoria Police on November 25 saying the force had not been complying with negotiated contracts.
Victoria Police rejects any suggestion it has been underpaying its officers, saying officers are compensated for up to 30 minutes of work outside their ordinary hours and have been for 60 years.
"These arrangements have been reviewed at key points over those 60 years and at every stage have been retained as part of our employee terms and conditions," a police spokeswoman said.
"These arrangements have long been reflected through higher salaries and allowances."
The union's claim has been raised as part of a protracted industrial dispute which is being considered by the Fair Work Commission and a decision is due by the end of 2024.
Police and protective services officers have been undertaking more than a dozen stop-work demonstrations across Victorian stations and academies to protest a stalemate in pay negotiations.
The union is pushing for a 24 per cent pay rise over four years and for an end to unpaid overtime.
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.
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