Pay and perks bonanza for United Firefighters’ Union in sweet deal

A NEW MFB pay deal that allows for up to 196 days leave in a year is warranted because firefighting is a dangerous occupation, Emergency Services Minister James Merlino says.

A NEW MFB pay deal that allows for up to 196 days leave in a year is warranted because firefighting is a dangerous occupation, Emergency Services Minister James Merlino says.

Mr Merlino said most firefighters would not take all of the leave entitlements they have in the new deal, and it was up to other emergency services unions whether they tried to get the same perks in their next EBAs.

When asked why the definition of “immediate family” was expanded to nieces and nephews for carer’s leave and the new “pressing necessity” leave, Mr Merlino said: “I am not going to go into the detail of every single clause.”

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He also defended the fact the agreement was rammed through before a landmark report by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission was made public on bullying and discrimination in the fire services.

“There are processes to deal with misconduct in the workplace,” he said.

“You cannot solve culture and diversity issues that have been longstanding in our fire services for decades, you can’t solve them by words in an EBA.”

But fire services sources say the explicit terms of the new agreement block part-time and casual work, which would encourage more women to join the MFB.

The head of Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission Kristen Hilton warned the MFB board about terms in the agreement in January, the Herald Sun revealed last week.

Mr Merlino said he would not comment on what the concerns were raised by Ms Hilton, however.

But Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said if the coalition wins the next election it will hold a Royal Commission into the fire services.

“This is a stinking, rorting mess that the Premier and the Emergency Services Minister have created and presided over, and continue to condone,’’ he said.

A copy of the enterprise bargaining agreement, which is backed by Premier Daniel Andrews, has been obtained by the Herald Sun.

It is filled with new perks and allowances that will cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars, on top of a 19 per cent pay rise already agreed to.

This morning Premier Andrews attempted to shift blame to the former government — despite being in power for the last three and a half years — while battling for an agreement.

He denied the deal was bad for Victoria claiming firefighters ran into burning buildings and “when you need them you can’t pay them enough.”

He did not discuss the details of the deal when at ABC radio but said it had been costed and “we look forward to our fighters supporting this agreement.”

On the media reports of extreme sexism among the ranks Mr Andrews said it was not surprising and he was awaiting the Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights report into bullying which allegedly finds serious cases of misconduct against women in the MFB and CFA.

Mr Andrews denied he had been briefed on the review — which the UFU is currently fighting in court to stop being publicly released.

Mr Andrews said: “we have been very clear about the need for cultural changes to be made” but the state would act not act until they see the recommendations.

Under the EBA, dozens of MFB policies, in some instances dating back decades, will be voided unless agreed to by the United Firefighters Union in a “consultative process”.

And rules of engagement between police, paramedics and other fire services will have to be renegotiated.

The UFU campaigned ag­gressively for Mr Andrews before the last state election.

Among the deal’s extraordinary handouts are an “availability allowance” to com­manders worth 5.5 per cent of their salary, a second-language allowance worth more than $1200 a year, and a $5000 reimbursement for legal advice.

The EBA also includes:

PERSONAL and sick leave available to firefighters in the job two years will increase to 99 days a year;

A NEW “pressing necessity” leave can be taken for four days each time a family member is ill or injured;
EXPANSION of the definition of “immediate family” to include nieces and nephews; and

AN hour’sextra pay will apply for work contacts outside rostered or on-call hours.

Senior firefighting sources say there is angst about sections of the deal that nullify existing policies, which are listed to include: “procedures, business rules, directions, standing orders, SOPs, Operational Work Instructions or any like document kept or promulgated by the MFB to employees”.

“They are signing on to something that exposes the state to risk,” the source said.

The deal replaces a 2010 EBA that was due to expire 4½ years ago, and has been fought by previous management and MFB board members, who have been replaced by government appointees.

Senior sources say the UFU demands were overshadowed by the Country Fire Authority dispute, which in 2016 claimed the scalp of then-emergency services minister Jane Garrett.

One source familiar with MFB rostering said new allowances for leave would make it difficult to fill shifts and would lead to a mass of overtime payments at double time.

“The overall cost will be hundreds of millions of dollars,” the source said.

On top of the 65 days’ annual leave firefighters get for working 10- to 14-hour shifts, the 99 days’ personal and sick leave, and the pressing necessity allowance, there are also provisions for 10 days’ community service leave and five days’ union training on top of public holidays.

Under existing sick leave, staff could have only three ­single days off a year without a medical certificate, but now they are allowed two days a week.

The new after-hours disturbance allowance does not say whether it includes emails.

There are also concerns about equal opportunity.

One source said there was a fear the EBA made it “almost impossible” for the MFB to investigate any allegations of bullying or harassment because it would be unable to check emails or communication within the organisation.

The VEOHRC is sitting on a report into bullying and diversity in fire services because of legal action taken by the UFU. Any action recommended as a result of that report would have to go through a consultation process with the UFU.

Any MFB disciplinary action under the new deal would involve a process of up to five steps.

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