SWAN Hill’s volunteer firefighters fear becoming “shut out” of the Country Fire Authority if the State Government signs off on a bargaining agreement they say would give the United Firefighters Union control over the CFA.
The UFU has been fighting for better conditions for its 18,000 career firefighters for three years and the Fair Work Commission last week backed clauses in a proposed agreement that would give the UFU power to effectively veto staffing and resourcing decisions made by CFA management.
Volunteer firefighters yesterday held a rally in the Melbourne CBD protesting against the bargaining agreement ahead of Premier Daniel Andrews’ return from the United States today.
Emergency Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley has been appointed by the government to work with the CFA board, volunteers and the UFU to implement the agreement once it is signed off on by the government.
Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV) state councillor and Swan Hill brigade volunteer firefighter Graeme Jilbert said the volunteers did not dispute the UFU’s wage claims but warned the proposed agreement contravened the CFA’s volunteer charter.
The charter requires the government and the CFA to consult with the volunteers before making a decision on “operational matters” that could affect its members.
Mr Jilbert said Fair Work had not considered the CFA’s concerns because its unpaid volunteer members were not considered part of the workforce.
He said the bargaining agreement would give the UFU control of the CFA if it was ratified by the government.
For more on this story, pick up a copy of Monday’s Guardian (June 6, 2016).
