United Firefighters Union mounts biggest political campaign is more than a decade targeting Labor

The United Firefighters Union is mounting its biggest political campaign in a decade, targeting Labor over pay disputes, ageing trucks and the emergency services tax hike ahead of next year’s election.

The Allan government is facing an industrial-scale campaign to block its re-election, with the militant firefighters union waging war against the government’s hope of a historic fourth consecutive term.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal the United Firefighters Union is planning its largest political campaign in more than a decade with hundreds of firefighters poised to campaign against the government in the lead-up to next year’s state election.

More than 30 key seats will be targeted by firefighters including Premier Jacinta Allan’s electorate of Bendigo East and the Niddrie seat of deputy premier Ben Carroll in the largest political campaign since the UFU rallied against Denis Napthine ahead of the 2014 election.

It comes amid growing frustrations over a long-running pay dispute and ongoing concerns about the suitability of Fire Rescue Victoria’s ageing fleet.

UFU secretary, Peter Marshall, said firefighters are risking their lives for 20 per cent less pay. Picture: Valeriu Campan

UFU secretary, Peter Marshall, said firefighters had suffered a 20 per cent cut to real wages since 2021.

“Firefighters put their lives on the line every day to protect the people of this state. That’s a duty they signed up for,” he said.

“They are risking their lives for 20 per cent less than they were five years ago. The FRV Commissioner, with the backing of the Premier, wants to make this cut to real pay cut permanent.

“They are doing it with trucks that are past their use by date, that break down in life-threatening emergencies, and that are not there when we need them.

“They are doing it while the Victorian Government perpetrates a billion-dollar a year tax grab under the guise of ‘emergency services’ to pay for their budget mistakes.

“The actions of the Allan Government today are nearly identical to those of the Napthine Government more than a decade ago.

“They are a disgrace to the Labor Party and a disgrace to the Victorian state.”

Mr Marshallsaid the pay cut has come despite the government reaping billions in extra taxes through the emergency services levy. Picture: supplied.

Mr Marshall said while firefighters had suffered a pay cut in real terms despite the government reaping billions in extra taxes through its revamped emergency services levy.

The new tax passed parliament earlier this year increasing the amount collected from Victorian homeowners, businesses and farmers from $1.033 billion to $1.623 billion per year.

“Firefighters are leaders in their communities. They run towards life-threatening danger every day. They are organised, they are fearless and right now they are furious,” Mr Marshall said.

“The conduct of this government and its hand-picked no-confidence leadership puts anything Dennis Napthine ever did to shame.

“Our campaign will see them meet a similar fate to Dennis Napthine, and replace them with leaders the public and the firefighters who protect them from danger can trust.”

The Liberal Party need a statewide swing of about 8 per cent in order to win the 16 seats it needs to form government at the next election.

It currently holds 20 seats on margins of less than that, including four that would likely go to the Greens if Labor were to lose them.

Thousands of farmers and Country Fire Authority volunteer firefighters gathered outside parliament to protest against the emergency services tax earlier this year. Picture: William West

The UFU has demanded a 25 per cent pay increase over three years — substantially more than similar deals made with paramedics and police who also waged war on the government.

Firefighters rejected the offer of a 12 per cent pay increase over four years and thousands of dollars in cash bonuses.

Under the mega deal 4500 firefighters would have received an upfront payment of about $7000 as well as guaranteed 3 per cent pay increases for four years.

Further annual cash bonuses of about $2000 per firefighter were also on offer.

Arbitration of the ongoing negotiations between FRV and the UFU is continuing.

An FRV spokesperson said resolving the Operational Agreement was a priority for the organisation.

“FRV fully supports our firefighters in their service of the Victorian community,” the spokesperson said.

“FRV has bargained in good faith for new enterprise agreements and met our obligations under both the Fair Work Act 2009 and the Victorian Government’s Wages Policy.

“We have put a number of offers to the United Firefighters Union (UFU) from 2020, which were not accepted.”