Qld firefighters to strike over casuals

UNITED Firefighters Union Queensland says the state government wants to strip officers' conditions and introduce less-trained staff to the frontline.

QUEENSLAND'S firefighters say they will take industrial action to stop "local trolley boys" from fighting blazes on the frontline.

United Firefighters Union Queensland state secretary John Oliver says the union has reached a stalemate with the state government over enterprise bargaining negotiations.

Mr Oliver says the government wants to allow casual, less-trained firefighters to fight on the frontline, which would put themselves, their colleagues and the public at greater risk.

The government also wants to strip "about 20" conditions from their agreement, jeopardising firefighters' safety, he says.

"We've got real concerns about casual firefighters, simply because it needs commitment to run into a burning house to save someone's family," Mr Oliver told AAP.

"Having casual firefighters that could be your local trolley boys driving million dollar trucks through the community is certainly not what we see as a professional fire service."

Mr Oliver said 99 per cent of his members voted in favour of industrial action in a recent state-wide ballot.

It would begin on Friday with frontline officers refusing to perform administrative duties and rolling action would follow.

However, Mr Oliver said officers would still continue to respond to call-outs.

He said Emergency Services Minister Jack Dempsey had been "missing in action" and refused to meet with the union to discuss negotiations.

A spokesman for Mr Dempsey told AAP that Minister Assisting the Premier, Glen Elmes, is dealing with enterprise bargaining negotiations.

Mr Elmes told AAP he was disappointed the firefighters had decided to take industrial action rather than let the enterprise bargaining process run its course.

"The government is hopeful that, as a result of the negotiations, a mutually agreeable outcome can be reached," Mr Elmes said.

"It's not helpful for anyone to take industrial action based on speculation about the outcome of the enterprise bargaining process."

He said both sides had the right to refer negotiations to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to act as an independent adjudicator.