SA United Firefighters Union modest pay rise will be accepted in exchange for resourcing talks

The United Firefighters Union say they will accept a smaller payrise but only if the government comes to the table on safety issues.

MFS fire fighters say some members are using dangerously out of date equipment, including older, recycled trucks. Picture: Russell Millard

The state’s firefighting union said they will agree to modest pay increases if the State Government will meet with them to discuss the dangerous state of their current resources.

Uniting Firefighting Union state Secretary Max Adlam said the Marshall Liberal Government have refused discussions about the state of their trucks and the lacking engineering staff to attend to them.

Safety standards require fire trucks to be replaced every 15 years, but the service currently holds a fleet where 42 trucks are older than 15 years.

Areas like Port Lincoln, Renmark, and Port Augusta are operating with recycled, older trucks, she said.

Ms Adlam said the UFU have tried to speak to the government about resourcing for a year.

“It’s fair to say that during the whole of that time we’re being stone walled by this government who say that they will not discuss this matter (truck safety) in enterprise agreement,” Ms Adlam said.

“We’ve said if not here, where? We’re not getting any answers.”

Ms Adlam said her members are more interested in public safety than pay increases.

“We’re in a position where last month we had two vehicles taken off the road as unroadworthy.

United Firefighters Union state secretary Max Adlam. Picture: Russell Millard

“We’ve had another vehicle drive down from a southern suburbs station that had no brakes.”

“At the end of the day is what we’re interested in is safety, safety for our members on the trucks, safety for the public as the trucks go out and protect our community.”

She said her members would accept a proposed pay increase.

“We understand that the government would offer us a modest pay increase, they have in other public sector areas, we would like to see that, but that’s not what this blue is about. This blue is fair and squarely about resourcing.”

Treasurer Rob Lucas said he is happy to meet with the UFU to discuss resourcing issues.

Mr Lucas said four new appliances are set to arrive in early 2021, and eight additional trucks have been ordered with $46.5 million allocated to firefighters in the budget.

“We’re ready to have a sensible discussion about wage and salary conditions for their employees … and no amount of industrial action is going to provide us with any additional money than what we’re already providing,” Mr Lucas said.

Labor Emergency Services spokesman Lee Odenwalder said the anger expressed by the UFU regarding resourcing is not misplaced.

“What they’re most concerned with is access to the government,” Mr Odenwalder said.

“They’re not being listened to by Mr Tarzia, Mr Lucas, or Mr Marshall.”