Playing with fire by giving United Firefighters Union control over CFA

IT is inexplicable that the Andrews Government appears set to give the green-light for the United Firefighters Union to take over the CFA, writes Matthew Guy.

CFA volunteers in Somerville rally against the UFU proposal. Picture: Alex Coppel

WHERE would Victoria have been on Ash Wednesday or on Black Saturday without the CFA? Where would we be every summer without those CFA volunteers — men and women who know their communities, live in the areas they protect and do it all for nothing.

When tragedy hits, it is the CFA that stands between millions of Victorians and potential oblivion. They protect our towns, our homes, our lives.

The word hero is thrown around a lot today, but our CFA volunteers really are true heroes, in every sense of the word — they risk their lives to protect ours.

So it’s not an over statement to say that all Victorians owe so much to the CFA and its 60,000 volunteers for the lives and homes they protect every single day.

And for all their hard work and sacrifice, the only thing these brave volunteers ask is to be treated with respect.

That is why it is so inexplicable that the Andrews Government appears set to give the green-light for the United Firefighters Union to take over the CFA.

What kind of thanks is it from the Premier to the brave men and women of the CFA to rip up 70 years of CFA volunteerism for a post-election payback to a greedy, power-hungry union.

Who would have thought after Ash Wednesday, after Black Saturday or even after the fires over summer along the Great Ocean Road last Christmas that the thanks from Daniel Andrews to the CFA would be to carve the authority up and undermine its volunteers.

At the core of this controversial issue is an attempt by the United Firefighters Union — a small union of 800 members — to negotiate a new workplace deal with the Labor Government.

Their pay claims, which are estimated to cost Victorian taxpayers about $1 billion, have been previously described by the Mr Andrews’s own Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett as “crippling”, and also include provisions for the union to take over control of the CFA. The union is demanding the right to veto all MFB and CFA management decisions and nobble the role of volunteers.

CFA members in a rally at Treasury Gardens. Picture: David Crosling

Among their claims, the union is demanding that CFA volunteers not fight fires unless at least seven unionised firefighters are sent to supervise them. That means a volunteer cannot do a single thing until a unionised firefighter arrives.

Insanely, volunteer firefighters would have to stand and watch a house burn until seven unionised firefighters arrive to watch over their work. This will clearly compromise public safety.

Can you imagine what would have happened on Black Saturday or Ash Wednesday if CFA volunteers were forced to stand around waiting to be supervised before tackling deadly bushfires?

If the Andrews Government caves in to the union, the CFA expects tens of thousands of volunteer firefighters across Victoria to resign.

The result would be that the millions of Victorians and the approximately 80 per cent of our state that the CFA protects, would suddenly be at greater risk next bushfire season.

This issue is not about a political powerplay between unions and board members, this issue is about standing up for volunteer firefighters who risk their lives to protect our lives, ours families’ and our homes.

Of all the things Mr Andrews has done since coming to government, smashing up the CFA and selling out its 60,000 volunteers is by far the worst and most damaging.

Matthew Guy is Leader of the state Opposition