Firefighters union boss takes pay battle to Supreme Court
United Firefighters Union secretary Peter Marshall has launched an appeal for a million-dollar pension payout in the Supreme Court after an earlier bid for a bigger retirement pay packet failed.
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Firebrand union boss Peter Marshall has taken his fight for a million dollar pension payout to the Supreme Court.
The United Firefighters Union secretary – the best-paid union boss in the country – launched his appeal on Thursday after an earlier failed bid for a bigger retirement pay packet in a civil tribunal.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal last year upheld the Emergency Services State Super’s decision to refuse him the additional superannuation payments – totalling about $1 million.
Emergency Services union bosses are entitled to a defined benefit pension, with the final payout based on “final average salary”.
Mr Marshall argued that his retirement payout should be based on a combination of his state secretary pay, his salary as national secretary of the UFU, and a raft of allowances including for meals and “living away from home”.
Justice Anthony Cavanough said the appeal boiled down to one singular point – the definition of ‘salary’.
“It may be the one and only thing that leads to an interference by me with the decision of the tribunal,” Justice Cavanough said.
Mr Marshall, through his lawyer Michael Pearce SC, submitted his “superable salary” should be based on everything paid to him, including base annual salary and regular allowances and overtime.
Justice Cavanough will hand down his decision at a later date.