SA firefighters working overtime as part of industrial action slammed as ‘silly’ and ‘self destructive’

SA firefighters intentionally working extreme amounts of overtime have been slammed as “silly”, as the Treasurer reveals the full cost of the union’s industrial action so far.

Metropolitan Fire Service crew members working overtime due to a union ban has cost the agency more than $1.3m in the past three months. Picture: Russell Millard

Angry firefighters intentionally working extreme amounts of overtime have burned more than $1.3 million out of the Metropolitan Fire Service’s budget in just three months.

As part of a bitter dispute with the State Government about safety issues and working conditions, senior firefighters are refusing to fill in for roles above their official titles – forcing Station Officers and Commanders to work costly overtime shifts.

Under normal rostering arrangements, Level 2 Senior Firefighters often “act up” in Station Officer roles, while Station Officers can “act up” in Commander roles.

But, as part of industrial action that started on November 16, members of the 1160-strong United Firefighters Union (UFU) are now refusing to take on those roles.

This means existing station officers and commanders – most of whom are part of the UFU – have to be called back in to work extreme amounts of over-time.

Treasurer Rob Lucas estimated this action was costing the MFS $110,000 per week – “the equivalent of one new fire truck every 8 weeks”.

“Simply put, the more money being wasted paying for industrial action, the less money is available to be spent on much needed resources and services required by the MFS to keep the community safe,” he said.

“The union bosses must accept they’re effectively shooting themselves in the foot with this type of silly, self-destructive behaviour.”

Treasurer Rob Lucas is taking a hard-line stance against the UFU’s industrial action.

UFU state secretary Max Adlam hit back, saying the “same applied” to Mr Lucas.

“We explained a whole range of examples where money is wasted in the MFS, because they simply don’t have the resourcing,” she said.

“One of them is the old trucks – the engineering department simply can’t cope … so increasingly, trucks will be defected.”

Ms Adlam said the MFS needed more staff permanently hired as Station Officers and Commanders.

“They don’t have enough numbers in the ranks (and) they shouldn’t be relying on act-ups,” she said.

“So we are not going to have our people fill those gaps all the time.”

Union bosses advised members not to accept overtime if they were fatigued.

“We have said to our members, we need to be very careful about looking after our health and wellbeing,” Ms Adlam said.

Union boss Max Adlam says her members are in the fight “for the long haul”. Picture: Russell Millard

Mr Lucas and senior UFU figures had a meeting on Monday, which was described by Ms Adlam as “cordial”.

But, tensions boiled over into the public arena on Tuesday after Mr Lucas said he would not be swayed by industrial action.

“No amount of industrial action gives me as Treasurer one single extra dollar to spend – quite the opposite,” he said.

Mr Lucas pointed to a raft of funding commitments announced in last year’s State Budget, including $11.5m over four years to accelerate the replacement of ageing fire trucks.

Ms Adlam said the union was there “for the long haul”.

“We are not going to stop until we are heard and some proper asset management plans are put in place.”

It was revealed on Tuesday that UFU members were not billing property owners for false alarm call-outs, which led the MFS to lose $150,000 in the past three months.

Meanwhile, the installation of vital burnover protection technology was suspended, due to safety fears after a problem with the misting function was detected on one truck last November.

It prompted an independent engineer to investigate the technology, installed on 35 MFS vehicles so far.