United Firefighters Union to consider no confidence vote as it lashes out at MFB, government

THE UNITED Firefighters Union is considering a vote of no confidence in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade board, as it launches a scathing attack on the Andrews Government.

THE UNITED Firefighters Union is considering a vote of no confidence in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade board, as it launches a scathing attack on the Andrews Government.

The union claimed in a bulletin to members today that the MFB board and government were running a “regressive agenda” aimed at cutting workplace conditions.

It is the second fiery memo in as many days, after the union yesterday called for members to reject a generous new workplace agreement endorsed just last month.

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The latest UFU outburst was seized upon by the state opposition in parliament today, with the Premier Daniel Andrews asked whether he was back at “ground zero” despite promising more than 600 days ago to step in to fix the fire services crisis.

The union has taken exception to the wording of an explanatory memorandum attached to the proposed EBA, which it said “gives a whole different interpretation to what the parties had agreed on”.

Premier Daniel Andrews today faced questions about the fire services crisis. Picture: AAP/Stefan Postles

A central issue in the explanatory material is the chief fire officer’s control over wages, rostering and staffing.

UFU state secretary Peter Marshall said in today’s bulletin that a vote of no confidence in the MFB board and its leadership would be considered at a membership meeting tomorrow.

“For over a decade MFB Boards, Chief Executive Officers’ and Chief Fire Officers, along with the Executive Leadership Team, have engaged in an extremely aggressive campaign to remove the conditions of employment of its employees,” Mr Marshall said.

“There is no doubt that this has consisted of using public money to force extensive litigation to remove the current entitlements that gives members security of employment and certainty in the workplace.”

The firebrand leader also said that he had hoped an “injection of new personnel into the MFB Board and a change of senior positions” would have stopped what he called an “agenda” to remove employment conditions.

UFU state secretary Peter Marshall. Picture: Mark Stewart

The MFB has endured a mass exodus of senior staff in recent years, including Paul Stacchino and former chief executive officers Peter Rau and Jim Higgins.

Four of the seven board members who considered, and ultimately gave the green light to, the new EBA were appointed in the past year.

The decisive vote was cast by a board member appointed just the week before.

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“The union was hopeful that we would be able to move forward so as that the work environment for professional firefighters is one that is absent of continuous attack by the employer however, with the approval of the Andrews’ government it appears the Board are reinvigorated to continue this attack,” Mr Marshall said.

“This brings into questions whether there should be a vote of no confidence in the newly constituted Board and its leadership.”

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