Victoria’s United Firefighters Union in bid to keep sexism and bullying review secret

VICTORIA’S firefighters union has applied to the Supreme Court to overturn a decision allowing the release of a long-awaited report into sexism and bullying.

VICTORIA’S firefighters union has made an eleventh hour court bid to stop the release of a long-awaited report into sexism and bullying in the fire services

An application — lodged by the United Firefighter’s Union — has appealed a Supreme Court ruling made late last year, which gave the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission the green light to publish the controversial review.

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The latest attempt to block the document came on the appeal deadline and follows several previous efforts by the UFU to keep the document secret.

Emergency Services Minister James Merlino has previously pushed for the paper to be released and said it will be made public.

“The Andrews Labor Government requested this report, we look forward to its release and will respond to it,” Mr Merlino said.

Mr Merlino says he looks forward to the report’s release. Picture: Ellen Smith.

“But we are not waiting for this report to take action.

“There have already been a number of significant reviews that have shown serious cultural and diversity issues within Victoria’s fire services.

However, Opposition Emergency Services spokesman Brad Battin slammed the potential delay.

“Victorians deserve to have confidence that our fire services are operating properly.”

“Daniel Andrews’ union mates should support the release of this important report into bullying and harassment in our fire services.”

The union did not respond to the Herald Sun’s request for comment.

The sexism and bullying probe was launched in 2016 after the Andrews Government asked the commission to probe concerns over “damaging workplace cultures” within the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and Country Fire Authority.

It was due for release in July 2017, however, the union launched an extraordinary legal bid to have it blocked.

This came after an attempt to stop the MFB and CFA from co-operating with the review in the Fair Work Commission.

Opposition Emergency Services spokesman Brad Battin slammed the delay. Picture: Hamish Blair

In December the Supreme Court threw out the union’s claims that the long-awaited review was “not properly constituted” and beyond the power of the commission, which is the ruling currently being appealed.

VEOHRC will be given 28 days to respond to the application and an email from the commission said the report was being compiled for release despite the application.

“If permission is granted, the earlier decision of the Supreme Court will be subject to another hearing,” it read.

“There is no order preventing the Commission from publishing its report and the application for leave to appeal does not change our proposed publication timeline. We are still working toward publishing the report around the end of January.”

People interviewed for the report claimed porn had been hung in fire stations, sex had occurred in offices, and alleged recruitment panels advised against hiring women.

Hazing rituals were also reported including female firefighters claiming they were forced to strip naked and pose for photographs.

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