Firefighters Union boss Peter Marshall’s giant pay packet revealed

A hefty pay deal for firefighters union boss Peter Marshall has revealed the whopping amount he pockets in pay and perks.

Firebrand union boss Peter Marshall has picked up close to $550,000 in pay and perks, cementing his position as the nation’s highest paid union leader.

The hefty pay deal means Mr Marshall collects almost as much as the Prime Minister and more than Premier Daniel Andrews and Liberal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

The pay details are contained in disclosure statements lodged by the United Firefighters’ Union Victoria branch with the Registered Organisations Commission earlier this month.

Mr Marshall collected $456,834 in remuneration as the union’s Victorian secretary and an additional $5711 to cover vehicle expenses and an income protection scheme for the year to June last year.

That is 3.8 per cent higher than the $445,721 Mr Marshall collected in pay and perks as the Victorian secretary in 2020-21.

Firefighters union boss Peter Marshall collects almost as much as the Prime Minister and more than Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Aaron Francis

Separate filings show Mr Marshall picked up another $84,854 in remuneration in 2021-22 for serving as the union’s national secretary.

In all, Mr Marshall collected $547,398 in pay and perks last financial year.

That is close to the $564,000 Anthony Albanese pockets for leading Australia and is more than the $452,475 Mr Andrews takes home, a deal which makes him the nation’s highest paid premier.

It also dwarfs the $401,500 Mr Dutton collects annually as leader of the federal opposition and is well above other high-profile union leaders.

Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union Victorian branch secretary John Setka collected $236,815 in remuneration and another $13,854 in non-cash benefits for the year to March 2022, documents lodged with the Registered Organisations Commission show.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions is not required to disclose the pay details of its senior executives but Sally McManus was reported as earning about $210,000 a year in 2020.

The latest UFU disclosure statements also show the union paid $157,368 to a business, Quintessential Services, which is owned by Mr Marshall’s brother.

The union has paid close to $370,000 to the business over the three years to June 2022.