Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews backing United Firefighters Union’s CFA takeover bid

UPDATE: FUMING readers have lashed out after Premier Daniel Andrews broke cover to back a United Firefighters Union bid to take over the Country Fire Authority.

Mr Andrews’ controversial move would leave the CFA board no option but to resign or agree to the deal.

READERS are outraged Premier Daniel Andrews has broken cover to back a United Firefighters Union bid to take over the Country Fire Authority.

Hundreds of fuming readers have spoken out, with many declaring it will mean the end of volunteer firefighters, and possibly damage the premier’s career.

Reader Jenny said: “You have just made the biggest mistake of your career Dan.”

Doug said: “Well this will be the end of volunteer firefighters”.

Vivienne said: “I don’t think the dedicated CFA volunteers deserve the conniving deals being supported by Daniel Andrews”.

Stuart said: You really want to alienate your CFA volunteers. Typical union attitude you are either with us or against us. I will say this if Andrews lets this go through he will be out in one term. Victorians won’t forget this treachery.”

By 6pm, more than 94 per cent of more than 1300 voters said Mr Andrews should not back the union’s takeover bid.

Mr Andrews’s bureaucrats have urged the Fair Work Commission to make recommendations that CFA bosses believe would hand control to the union and cost taxpayers “at least” $1 billion.

The controversial move, bringing to a head a three-year-old dispute, would leave the CFA board no option but to resign en masse, or agree to the deal and sell out its 60,000 volunteers.

It could also result in the resignation or sacking of Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett — or an unprecedented backflip from her. She has said the UFU’s demands are unacceptable.

The deal would give the UFU a veto over CFA management decisions, as it has at the MFB.

Among other things, it would also insist seven paid firefighters attend every fire, no matter how small, and provide a 15 per cent daily loading for having to work with contractors.

The move could result in the resignation or sacking of Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett.

CFA sources said they were appalled at the pressure the Premier’s bureaucrats had put them under to accept the deal.

Sources among Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria said the terms of the proposed deal would lead to total war with the Andrews Government.

At the Fair Work Commission on Monday, Commissioner Julius Roe, who has been holding closed hearings in an attempt to end the dispute, said he planned to make recommendations which several CFA sources said were “virtually indistinguishable” from the UFU’s log of claims, and unacceptable to the CFA.

“The CFA was given less than 10 minutes to put its case, while the UFU was afforded more than three hours,” one source said.

Earlier this week, Andrew Ford, chief of Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria, wrote to the Premier complaining that they had been excluded from the Fair Work process.

@DanielAndrewsMP Did you go to the election with the promise of the CFA to be taken over by the fire fighters Union?

— Warren (@bozowasher) May 31, 2016

More great news for Vic Labor voters, you now lose CFA. Another way for Andrews to repay union mates for voter support. Stuff rural Vic.

— Jeffrey/AustFirst (@BaronBlacky) May 31, 2016

Ms Garrett with CFA chief executive Lucinda Nolan (second from left) and female firefighter recruits. Picture: Kylie Else

The UFU’s demand would cost taxpayers “at least a billion dollars”, a source said.

At the commission, Industrial Relations Victoria officials sided with the UFU, urging Mr Roe to make recommendations. Also present was Tony Bates, from the Premier’s Department, who didn’t oppose the IRV position.

CFA bosses fear that if Mr Roe makes his recommendations today, the Premier will try to compel Ms Garrett to force the CFA to accept them.

Under legislation, only Ms Garrett has the power to force the CFA to sign a new EBA.

Earlier this week, the CFA board had an emergency meeting by phone hook-up at which it resolved that any new EBA would be valid only if it was agreed to by both the chairman and the board.

Industrial Relations Minister Natalie Hutchins said the government was “participating in good faith to end a dispute that has gone on far too long”.

CFA spokesman Gerard Scholten said: “We await the Fair Work Commission’s recommendations.”

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