By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS AND VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS
VOLUNTEER and staff firefighters at Casey fire brigades are maintaining a united stand despite an acrimonious three-year industrial dispute between the CFA, the United Firefighters Union and the State Government.
At Hallam fire brigade, professionals – represented by the UFU – and volunteers fight blazes side by side.
Volunteer firey of 10 years Raj Faour says that will continue despite the political “mess” that has ousted Emergency Services Minister Jane Garratt and unseated the CFA board.
“I’m a big advocate for staff and volunteers working hand in hand. We both need one another and stand in solidarity with one another.
“We just want to reassure the community everything is OK here. There’s nothing to worry about in terms of their safety.”
Mr Faour says clauses giving UBU the power of veto on attending fires was not a cause of concern. It actually helped to ensure there were adequate resources for each incident, he said.
“It’s unfortunately all over the news and the media.
“It’s causing a divide between volunteers themselves, the staff and volunteers, but things are good down at our station.”
He said he stood “firmly behind” the State Government, which has moved to replace the CFA board.
“I just want to get it sorted. It needs to be resolved yesterday.”
Volunteers and paid firefighters also staff the Cranbourne CFA.
Cranbourne career firefighter and UFU delegate Geoff Barker said the mental health of firefighters was at risk if the dispute continued.
“The vilification of firefighters in the media causes a great deal of grief and despair to the mental health of career firefighters
“We require leadership from CFA to defend the professionalism and integrity of its workforce.
“At the moment there is a deathly silence from headquarters.
“While they defend the EBA position they are allowing disgraceful attacks on career firefighters.”
The three-year dispute between the UFU and the State Government reached a tipping point last week when the CFA board refused to sign the proposed enterprise bargaining agreement.
The CFA put forward 14 objections to the proposed agreement that they argue disenfranchise and disempower CFA volunteers and will have a major disruption to firefighting operations.
CFA District 8 operations manager Mark Kennedy said the politicised dispute was having wide-reaching negative effects for CFA members.
Mr Barker said despite the negative attention, the proposed EBA will have no effect on the way paid and volunteer firefighters interact at integrated CFA stations.
“Many of the conditions in the EBA are things we already do in the stations.”
Mr Barker said the volunteers and paid staff at Cranbourne CFA would continue to work together once the EBA dispute had been settled.
“Career firefighters will continue to respect and value the work of volunteers and we have a great relationship with volunteers in our district,” he said.
“Nothing will prevent us delivering a service that meets the expectation of the community.”
