WA Police Minister Michelle Roberts insists the state government will not budge on its $1000 pay increase offer to the police union, saying to capitulate would trigger a flow-on effect across the rest of the public sector.

The WA Police Union and its members were ordered to cease their campaign for better pay by midday Thursday at an urgent Industrial Relations Commission conference on Wednesday evening.

"Given the concerns held by the commission about the impact of the ongoing industrial campaign, the cost to the community and the public interest, orders were made this evening requiring the union and its police officer members to cease all industrial action by 12pm Thursday," the commission said.

It has also ordered the union be restored access to the WA Police computer and communications system so it can talk to members during the ongoing bargaining process.

The police minister dismissed as "nonsense" union claims they had forced the government back to the negotiation table by escalating their industrial action.

"Had those actions - the so-called phase three - continued, lives would have been put at risk," she told reporters on Thursday.

Ms Roberts labelled as "irresponsible" comments by union president George Tilbury that "the sky's the limit" for a pay increase if the dispute goes to arbitration.

"The precedent that making a special arrangement for police would be financially disastrous across a whole range of areas," she said.

Ms Roberts also said the union's demand for officers to work a standard 38-hour week was never up for consideration.

"To budge on that would be an equivalent of a 5.5 per cent pay rise," she said.

Both the union and Police Commissioner Chris Dawson are to report back to the WAIRC by October 6 on the prospect of a new pay deal.

Tensions came to a head on Tuesday when the union announced it would ramp up action by having all members attend life-threatening incidents only.

Within hours, Mr Dawson issued a legal directive telling police to remain on normal duty.

The union then sent out an urgent missive telling members to comply but to keep on with pre-existing action.