Fireys union family ­violence clause ‘is abhorrent’

The Fair Work Commission has rejected a proposed Victorian fire services agreement.

Jobs and Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O’Dwyer. Picture: AAP

The Fair Work Commission has rejected a proposed Victorian fire services agreement, describing a clause requiring employees to ­notify the firefighters union that they were experiencing family ­violence as “abhorrent”.

Jobs and Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O’Dwyer intervened in proceedings, but the commission did not accept most of the commonwealth objections to the agreement between the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board and the United Firefighters Union. However, commission deputy president Val Gostencnik agreed that a clause in the proposed agreement impeded employees’ right to request flexible working arrangements.

Mr Gostencnik said there was no rational basis that would justify a copy of a written request for flexible working arrangements being given to the UFU as required by the clause.

He said the clause was plainly detrimental to an employee as it required the extra step of preparing a written notice and providing it to the union despite it not needing to be notified under the Fair Work Act.

“Moreover, the requirement that … an employee of the MFB who is experiencing family violence should have to advise the UFU in writing of that fact is frankly abhorrent,” he said.

He said the clause contravened the Fair Work Act but his concern might be addressed by the MFB and the union giving ­undertakings about it.

Ms O’Dwyer said yesterday the Morrison government intervened to ­oppose approval of the MFB agreement on various grounds.

“The Coalition is very firmly of the view that there is no place for union bullying and discrimin­ation in the Victorian fire services or any other workplace,’’ she said.