CFA volunteers rally in Melbourne over union bid for greater control

THE Prime Minister has backed CFA volunteers as thousands rallied at Treasury Gardens to defy a union’s bid to have greater control over the organisation.

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THOUSANDS of CFA volunteers have rallied at the Treasury Gardens to defy a union bid to have greater control over the organisation.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told 3500 volunteers firefighters and supporters at the rally he would block the planned union takeover of the CFA if he was re-elected on July 2.

The PM received a rock-star welcome at the Melbourne rally, with thousands of volunteers in uniform chanting his name and CFA volunteers telling Federal MPs they will campaign against Labor on polling day.

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Malcolm Turnbull backed CFA volunteers at the rally. Picture: David Crosling

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

Malcolm Turnbull has arrived at today's #saveCFA rally. Huge round of applause. pic.twitter.com/BoJMMwDaEh

— Shannon Deery (@s_deery) June 5, 2016

CFA volunteer brigades from across the state made their way to the Treasury Gardens, and then to the Parliament House steps to protest a bid by the United Firefighters Union for greater control over the CFA.

“We stand with you. The spirit of community service, of volunteerism, is the great Australian spirit you embody. You are Australia,” Mr Turnbull said, to rapturous applause. “You and the lifesavers and the SES right across our country. Volunteers protect lives.

“The idea that you would be overruled, subordinated, to the UFU is incredible.”

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Up to 3,500 volunteers fronted the rally. Picture: David Crosling

"You are Australia. We will stand with you" PM Malcolm Turnbull tells CFA members at #saveCFA rally. @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/6nq0HvxdW3

— Shannon Deery (@s_deery) June 5, 2016

Mr Turnbull said his government would introduce changes to the Fair Work Act that would “relate to what would be objectionable or unacceptable clauses in EBAs”.

Members from volunteer emergency services groups including the SES and Coastguard also turned out in a show of support.

Skipton CFA captain Vern Dawson branded the union’s push for control over the association’s chief officer “dangerous”.

“It’s creating an ‘us and them’ between volunteers and career staff who have worked brilliantly together for years,’’ he said. “We fully support the paid staff.

“But the union leadership is just creating a divide that shouldn’t exist.”

Yarra Glen CFA captain Bill Boyd said: “We are under threat from the union — the whole ethos of the CFA is under threat here.”

“You can’t have the union telling the chief officer what he is going to do with his people and his appliances.’’

Angry and frustrated volunteer firefighters gather in Melbourne. Picture: Christopher Chan.

A CFA veteran, Mr Boyd said the union’s plans would cause chaos if faced with a similar situation as Black Saturday.

“For the first four or five hours of that fire it was sole volunteers,’’ he said.

“We had five fire trucks all fully manned by volunteers in that fire in Yarra Glen and we were fully surrounded by fire.

“We lost 70 homes and 11 members of our community and we’ve got Dan Andrews telling us we’re not good enough.

“It’s a joke. I feel gutted. He’s devalued everything we’ve done.”

Springhurst CFA captain Frank Harbottle said volunteers didn’t have any beef with paid firefighters seeking better conditions but were worried the union would restrict the CFA’s control over its own operations.

“Daniel Andrews has been put in power by the unions so he is a puppet,’’ he said.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was in Melbourne yesterday but told organisers he was unable to attend the rally. He once again tried to play down the issue, despite meeting with UFU president Peter Marshall and Premier Daniel Andrews.

“It’s a state issue... I would expect, however ... that Mr Andrews and the CFA will get the balance right,’’ he said.