Victorian Government pays $3m to 15 MFB staff over UFU bullying

THE ANDREWS Government has been forced to make a multimillion-dollar settlement with more than a dozen senior firefighting officers who say they were the targets of years of union bullying.

THE ANDREWS Government has been forced to make a multimillion-dollar settlement with more than a dozen senior firefighting officers who say they were the targets of years of union bullying.

The Victorian Parliament was told the Metropolitan Fire Brigade has paid out more than $3 million to 15 serving and former officers who alleged management did not protect them from a United Firefighters Union campaign of intimidation and harassment — which included threats of violence.

RELATED NEWS:

PLANS TO STOP BULLYING IN FIRE SERVICES

MFB PRESIDENT QUITS AFTER CONTROVERSY

FIREFIGHTERS SAY BULLYING FORCED THEM TO QUIT

Firefighters (L-R) Paul Swain, Lou Mele and Stuart McCall sued the Andrews government. Picture: Paul Jeffers

While it is also understood the MFB has settled with its former corporate secretary, David Goldberg, who was forced out of the organisation after he raised objections to the board signing off on a controversial workplace deal.

Retiring Liberal backbencher Christine Fyffe told the Victorian Parliament last month the more than $3 million taxpayer-funded settlement was an admission management had failed to “protect senior officers from years of bullying and intimidation by Peter Marshall and union thugs.”

The former officers — all with decades of experience in the MFB — were kicked out of the union after they accepted a promotion to Inspector, now known as Commander, in 2001.

This led to a 15-year bullying campaign, allegedly ignited when an email bulletin was sent out to all members titled ‘what is a scab’, just before the first 11 of the men were unveiled in the new positions.

The group’s representative, Lou Mele, told the Herald Sun he could not comment on the bullying claim.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: David Crosling

But in a log of claims presented to the MFB the former senior officers said they were subjected to almost daily harassment be it anonymous calls to their home or hate letters sent to them via the Brigade’s internal mail system, previous media reports said.

One officer said a bullet was left in his mailbox, while another claims someone phoned his home and called him a ‘f------ wog scab c---.’

‘Scab posters’ were also placed in prominent positions when the Commanders visited fire stations known for their union support.

The Commanders said pro-union firefighters would also refuse to follow orders and some would even refuse to talk to them at fire scenes.

An MFB spokeswoman said it “has no comment to make on these confidential matters.”

MORE NEWS

Opposition Emergency Services spokesman Brad Battin said the Labor Government was using taxpayer money to silence the victims of bullying.

“The fire services under Daniel Andrews are in chaos with allegations of bullying, intimidation, threats and sexual harassment — and Daniel Andrews answer is to silence the victims.”

A state government spokesman said it would be inappropriate to contact on these confidential matters but it did not tolerate workplace bullying.

The United Firefighters Union has not responded to a request for comment.