MFB president quits after controversial EBA passes

THE Metropolitan Fire Brigade’s president has quit after a dramatic board meeting which saw the brigade pass a controversial new workplace agreement for firefighters.

Emergency Services Minister James Merlino with Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: AAP/Joe Castro

THE state government has pushed through a controversial new workplace agreement for MFB firefighters, forcing the resignation of the brigade’s president.

The MFB board on Thursday night backed signing the new EBA with the United Firefighters Union in what was believed to be a 4-3 vote. The decisive vote was lodged by a new board member appointed by the government just a week ago.

MFB president Andi Diamond quit after the vote and said she hoped “this is the beginning of the rebuilding of the organisation”.

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The MFB’s other senior leaders are understood to be considering their positions and further fallout is expected, after the government pressured the brigade to sign the agreement, the terms of which have not been made public.

The brigade has already lost two chief officers, a chief executive and several board members during the bitter industrial dispute which claimed emergency services minister Jane Garrett, the CFA board and its chief executive and chief officer.

Attorney-General Martin Pakula downplayed the resignation.

Mr Pakula said today that filling the vacancy was “normal course” and that people quit their jobs to peruse “other things” or because “they’re tired or have had enough doing what they’re doing.”

”People make decisions to come and go,” he said.

“I’m not going to speculate on people’s motivations about whether they stay or go from board positions or management positions in our fire services.”

While other brigade leaders are understood to be considering their positions, Mr Pakula said, as far as he was aware, no other board members planned to resign.

Emergency Services Minister James Merlino last night welcomed the decision to end the “industrial uncertainty”.

He said a “key breakthrough” was the creation of a committee involving the MFB, CFA and UFU to “directly tackle culture and diversity issues”.

Mr Merlino said a number of reports had already made those issues clear, even though a bullying and sexism review by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission remains secret.

It was due to be released last July but has been blocked in court by the UFU.

VEOHRC on Thursday said it had briefed parties on the report’s content and aimed to release it in “coming weeks”, despite previously vowing to publish it this month.

MFB deputy president Jasmine Doak on Thursday night said she was pleased the board “reached a resolution” and that more details on the agreement would be provided soon.

The government added Greyhound Racing Victoria non-executive director Peita Duncan to the MFB board on January 10 without any announcement. Her name appeared on the MFB website on Thursday and it is believed she broke the deadlock on whether the EBA should be signed, after the board stood firm in the face of intense government pressure before Christmas.

Opposition emergency services spokesman Brad Battin said Premier Daniel Andrews must not allow “any contract supporting inequality in the fire services”, and needed to protect Victorians over his “union mates”.

The EBA will be voted on by MFB firefighters before being sent to the Fair Work Commission for approval.

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