By KATH GANNAWAY
CFA volunteer firefighters from the Yarra Valley Group will rally on Sunday, 26 June, against what they say is a union take-over of the CFA – and many have labelled an attack on democracy.
A convoy of fire vehicles will travel along the Warburton Highway leaving Wandin at 10.30am with a stop at Yarra Junction at around 11am and Warburton around noon.
“We are hoping people will come out from all the brigade areas and support us at any of those locations as we go through,” said Hillcrest CFA Captain Fiona Burns.
Brigades taking part are Gruyere, Wandin, Seville, Hillcrest, Hoddles Creek, Yellingbo, Yarra Junction, Wesburn/Millgrove, Warburton, Reefton and Little Yarra.
CFA volunteer brigades have rallied across the state in recent weeks as the bitter, protracted and complex dispute between the CFA and the United Firefighters Union (UFU) representing paid firefighters has spiralled out of control.
The CFA board (which has since been sacked by the State Government) expressed their concerns saying the proposed Enterprise Bargaining Agreement at the heart of the dispute, undermined volunteers and allowed the UFU operational and management control of the CFA.
In an open Letter to the Editor sent to the Mail last week, Premier Daniel Andrews said lies spread about the new CFA agreement were causing unnecessary concern for volunteers and gave reassurances over some of the contentious issues stating again that the role of volunteers was not altered by the agreement.
“To suggest it will destroy the CFA is the most irresponsible lie of all,” he wrote.
Captain Burns, in an Open Letter to CFA and All Victorians, refutes that claim however, saying “The dispute is about clauses which would give effective control of certain decisions to those who have no responsibility of accountability for them.”
“The intent in these clauses is not clear and open to interpretation,” she said.
Her letter addresses the concerns voiced by thousands of CFA volunteers in recent weeks saying the dispute has transcended the EBA and is “ … now about much more – it is about fairness, respect and democracy”.
Read their letters below:
Premier Daniel Andrews
THERE have been a lot of lies told about the new CFA agreement. And these lies are causing unnecessary concern for volunteers and the communities they protect every single day. This nasty and spiteful dispute went on for over 1000 days.
It simply couldn’t go on for another 1000 days and that’s why we’ve brought it to a close.
Under the agreement, CFA volunteer fire stations will continue operating as they always have – with their own independence, their own special connections to the community, and their own unique knowledge of their local area.
The role of volunteer firefighters in this state is sacrosanct. At no stage has our government questioned it or jeopardised it. It is time to debunk the lies of this nasty scare campaign:
1. The need to dispatch seven firefighters to a fireground is limited to 34 integrated stations in highly populated areas, like Frankston and Geelong. This won’t apply to the other 1200 CFA stations around our state – that’s 97% of them.
2. There is no veto power in this agreement. Like most workplaces, there will be consultation on issues that affect the employment of career firefighters, such as the recognition of prior learning. But let’s be very clear, there is no veto power.
3. The agreement specifically states that the role of volunteers is not altered by the agreement, and to suggest it will destroy the CFA is the most irresponsible lie of all.
I promise your readers this: by the time the next fire season rolls around, this long-running dispute will be behind us, the CFA will be stronger than ever before, and so will be the dedicated volunteers who have protected our state for so many years. In the meantime, the Emergency Services Minister James Merlino and I will be visiting volunteer and career fire-fighters across Victoria to explain the agreement, to listen to local brigades and to honour the work done by volunteer and career fire-fighters to keep our state safe.
Hon Daniel Andrews MP,
Premier of Victoria.
Hillcrest CFA Captain Fiona Burns:
An Open Letter to CFA and All Victorians:
I have been a volunteer member of CFA for 13 odd years now – more than some, but less than many. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that CFA would find itself in the position it is in today. This EBA has played out so publicly and so disgracefully on all sides and all parties.
Let’s start with what this dispute is not about – it is not a pay dispute, it has never been about that. If career firefighters can get a 19 per cent pay increase over four years – good luck to them. I wouldn’t mind that increase either and I don’t begrudge them – however I wonder how the government will ensure this is financially viable into the future.
So what is this dispute about? There has been plenty of emotion, rhetoric, claims and counter claims. The dispute is about clauses which would give effective control of certain decisions to those who have no responsibility or accountability for them. It is about decisions by committees by unanimous agreement. It is about respect for volunteer skills. It is about an agreement (a contract) written so poorly that I could drive a semi-truck through it and make the clauses mean anything I want. The intent in these clauses is not clear and open to interpretation by one and all. So why aren’t the parties doing justice to these clauses and writing them in a manner where there can be no misunderstanding about how they are meant to operate?
But I would suggest this dispute has transcended all this and is now about much more – it is about fairness, respect and democracy. This story is a warning to other organisations, statutory authorities and groups of what may be in store for them in the future.
I hear you say – taking it a bit far aren’t you? Stay with me.
CFA is a statutory authority with legislative responsibilities and accountabilities – these are set down by the parliament in an Act of the Parliament itself. The government has sacked the nine CFA Board members and appointed five new board members and a new CEO at the speed of light – all in about four hours. Their sole job is to do the bidding of the government that they have been appointed by and with the explicit direction to sign the EBA. Democratic? I think not. There is no trust and in his first email to CFA the new chairman directed it to staff – volunteers don’t even rate a mention.
How can a government which is democratically elected become a dictatorship? How can a union have so much power to bring an organisation to its knees and a government to blindly pursue a path and use any means available to them to achieve a pre-determined outcome – to get the EBA signed.
The government it appears can now do whatever it chooses – subject to action being undertaken in the Supreme Court and promises made by those in federal politics to undo this and pass legislation to protect and respect volunteers. That may be too little too late. I wonder what the men who started this organisation would think today.
The precursor to CFA was the Bushfire Brigades Board. These were started by men who were returned servicemen, who themselves volunteered to defend their nation. Together with other like-minded men in the community they banded together to fight bushfires which plagued our landscape. They became more organised as time went on. From beaters and buckets to trucks like the Willy’s, Jeeps and Fargos that they converted themselves into firetrucks. Initially many paid a subscription to become a member of the bushfire brigade. Now we have some of the most modern trucks, equipment and larger numbers of volunteers who are prepared to give up their time every day to help their community or another community in their time of need. The surge capacity of CFA is second to none in the world – only the army can muster anything remotely close for large numbers of people in a short period of time.
Our returned servicemen had already given much, fighting for their country – fighting for democracy and the freedoms which we now take for granted. Their community spirit is forever a part of the modern day CFA. CFA was started as a volunteer organisation. 97 per cent of its membership is volunteer – three per cent are paid to do their job. Career staff came into being to help volunteers deliver a service to the community. I don’t begrudge those who have chosen to make this their career. I know many career staff – they are good people; they imbue the values of this organisation.
So many seem to have forgotten that CFA is a volunteer organisation supported by staff, not the other way around.
I have been told I have no right to have a view as a volunteer on the EBA and that it is none of my business – it is a workplace agreement between CFA and its career staff. It is about their workplace conditions. CFA is my workplace too – I choose to do this as a volunteer, for no pay. Manned stations have a place – so do volunteers – without each other our communities would be the worse off.
I have been told this will not impact volunteers – only integrated stations. How dare I protest? Why don’t I go quietly without a whimper? How dare I rally? Why am I politicising this issue? How can brigades allow themselves to be used as pawns in a political game?
I stand and have a voice because we live in a democracy and a country where freedom of speech is valued. I stand and have voice as a volunteer as the Volunteer Charter obliges parties to consult volunteers on matters that impact them.
I do begrudge those who think they are more professional than I and my fellow brigade members are, simply because they get paid. I am professional in everything that I do in CFA – don’t demean me just because I don’t get paid. I am more than happy to defer to the expertise of others, both career and volunteer – I am equally happy to learn from their skills as well.
This issue should get every Victorian’s attention – not just as a CFA issue, but as an issue where our government can so openly bully and pressure a group to get its own say over a statutory authority. If they do it here – there will be no stopping them. Not only will it be the end of CFA as we know it today – it may very well be the end of democracy and it will pit everyone on a collision course come both federal and state election day. In the meantime, brigades will continue to turnout to protect their communities and offer a world class emergency service.
There are some who are so heart-broken they will not be able to stay, there are others who will persevere in the tradition of ‘never letting the bastards win’ and there will be new members who will join – but no matter what, we are forever and irrevocably changed and there is absolutely no going back now.
Today the Minister for Emergency Services James Merlino posted an open letter on the CFA website about a fresh start. Wonder if we are still independent? Wonder if politics is taking over this organisation?
I hope against all hope that our court system may do justice where our government has failed. One can only hope that the UFU’s own membership vote this EBA deal down – that would be the greatest irony of all. But I ask that community members support their brigades and stand with them – and know that while you fight for CFA you are also fighting for yourselves and the democracy that we so cherish.
Now is not the time for apathy. This is a call to action to defend democracy and we need to take a stand against those who would undermine it.
Regards
Fiona Burns
CFA Volunteer
#handsoffcfa
