Dispute breaks Duncan’s spirit
by Yvette Brand Two generations of the Holman family have dedicated 123 years voluntary service to the CFA but the current wage dispute may force Duncan and Peter Holman to resign.
Duncan Holman dedicated his life to the Longwarry Fire Brigade. He is the CFA’s longest serving volunteer but the dispute is “breaking his heart and spirit.”
Duncan, 93 and his son Peter, a lieutenant at Warragul CFA, have given 78 years and 45 years’ service respectively to the CFA.
For Duncan, who now lives at Hillview Hostel, Bunyip, it has been his life and his passion.
But all that could be over if a controversial wage deal proceeds that includes giving the United Firefighters Union operational and management control of the CFA.
In a letter to Premier Daniel Andrews on Friday, Peter said he and his 93-year-old father would resign.
“Should the UFU achieve its desires, both my father and I will tender our resignation to the CFA.
“This entire situation has broken my father’s heart and spirit. He has dedicated his life to the volunteer service of the local community,” he said.
Peter said it was a travesty for his father who had given so much to the CFA, describing the situation as disgraceful.
“To have someone with such enormous history with the CFA offer his resignation shows the true feeling of the volunteer members.
“The state cannot be protected without volunteers and this situation has the potential to decimate the ranks of experienced and long serving members,” Peter said.
Duncan and Peter said the suggested CFA take over by the UFU is “simply appalling.”
They feel they have been deserted by the government and the volunteer service, as they have known it, will be lost.
“It potentially spells the deconstruction of this fantastic volunteer based organisation,” Peter said.
Duncan is a life member of both the CFA and Longwarry Fire Brigade, where he was captain for 36 years.
He was awarded the highest fire service decoration with the Queens Fire Services Medal.
When Duncan reached 70 years’ service, the CFA had to design and mint a special medal as no one previously had achieved this many years of service.
While Duncan and Peter will “wait and see” what is resolved, they have indicated they will resign.
“The chief officer’s powers are delegated through the ranks and forms the backbone of what we do as dedicated and fully trained volunteers.
“If the chief officer Joe Buffone says that the clauses in the EBA are unworkable, then “they are that unworkable.”
“We as volunteers are ultimately answerable to the chief officer and not the UFU,” Peter said. THE CFA yesterday officially rejected the controversial new pay deal for its firefighters.
A CFA statement released yesterday said it could not approve the EBA in its current form.
“We support the wage increase for career firefighters — this is not in dispute.”
“The proposed EBA undermines volunteers, our culture, allows the UFU operational and management control of CFA and is discriminatory.
“We value the work of all our members — career firefighters, volunteers and support staff,” the statement said.