Tynong CFA declares no confidence in board
With placard signage around its headquarters and stickers on its tankers, all donated by local business, the brigade hopes others in surrounding districts will join it in sending the message that it does not stand for the agreement which they say will adversely impact on their operations and volunteers.
Clauses of greatest concern would see the powers of the chief officer overridden, union given power of veto on issues affecting volunteer organisation, operations and support and clauses that are contrary to the CFA act.
However, the UFU denies that volunteers would be affected.
Tynong CFA brigade captain David Glazzard said volunteer members were being made to feel second-class just because they are not paid.
“We’re a small country town with three trucks and all volunteers, so a pay rise to us means zero,” he said.
“We get along with the staff well, we’re happy to keep them around.
“We’re disappointed with the veto of the UFU over the CFA board and chief officer.
“The Tynong Fire Brigade has no trust or confidence in the CFA board, who were brought in to push the EBA through.
“They’re completely ignoring the voices of 60,000 volunteers.
“They’ve turned their back on volunteer firefighters and made us to feel second-rate fire fighters just because we don’t get paid.”
Mr Glazzard said the brigade had concerns around operational matters such as slow paperwork, delayed arrival of uniform and equipment and flexibility around opportunities for training.
“The veto over the board and chief means that anything that we want to change is gone,” he said.
“If we want to change our assignment area, we would talk to our neighbouring brigades but now that’s gone, that’s the UFU making decisions for way out here.”
The brigade is also calling for equal cancer legislation for both paid staff and volunteers.
Mr Glazzard said he hoped other brigades would join them in taking a stand against the proposed UFU agreement.
“We had a group meeting and a bloke stood up there and said it’s going to get signed, deal with it,” he said.
“We don’t want to deal with it. We’re being controlled by a union we can’t be members of.”
Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria applied to the Supreme Court to have the EBA suspended until the conclusion of a court case to take place in September.
The VFBV said the court hearing would give it another chance to raise questions CFA has refused to answer such as claims volunteers will be protected by a clause in the EBA, the proposed Greater Alarm Response System (GARS), interference in non-operational personnel who provide critical volunteer support functions through the BASO and Volunteer Support programs and restrictions in the EBA on effective volunteer consultation rights under the CFA Volunteer Charter.
Baw Baw CIU detectives are investigating another burglary at a school on Friday night.
Several schools in West Gippsland have been targeted in recent weeks, with St Ita’s Catholic Primary School at Drouin the latest victim.
Police said offenders broke into a shed in the lower car park area. Offenders gained access via a hole in the roof.
The burglary occurred between 7pm on Friday night and noon on Saturday. Police do not know what was stolen at this stage.
A charity tin was stolen from the Trafalgar Criterion Hotel bar recently.
Police are investigating the theft of the Maddy’s Vision charity tin, stolen from the bar area on August 9.
Police said the male offender waited for staff to leave the counter area and then put the tin in his bag and left the premises.