As reported in SITREP 26/2009, the Union does not accept the loss of permanent firefighter positions from the Newcastle Fire District and has demanded the return of the staff positions previously attached to Waratah Fire Station to the Newcastle Fire District, and on the 10/14 Roster. The Department was placed on notice that failure to agree to the Union’s demands by 5pm today, Thursday 31 December would result in the commencement of industrial action on 1 January. Read more…
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December 31, 2009
December 24, 2009
Inside this issue:
- Waratah dispute update
- Exploding wallets
- Check your retainer
- 2010 Membership cards
- Union office Xmas/New Year shutdown
December 22, 2009
Members who have participated in the Xmas Hamper Drive and collected donations for a local charity in their area should now be forwarding on those donations to that charity.
Alternatively, members can send all donations to their district/LSV station by the end of today, to allow for general collection and distribution tomorrow. Read more…
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December 18, 2009
Inside this issue:
- Insurance for First State Super Members
- Department backflip rips off Recruits
December 16, 2009
“That this Newcastle meeting of FBEU members condemns the Keneally Government’s confirmation this week of the closure of Waratah Fire Station and the permanent relocation of its appliance and staff over 20 kilometres away at Toronto. The Keneally Government’s decision to shut Waratah means the Newcastle Local Government Area (LGA) has lost a fire station, the Newcastle LGA has lost 20 permanent firefighters and the region has lost the opportunity for 20 additional (not relocated) jobs at Toronto. Further, by allowing Waratah Fire Station to close after barely a week in the job, Kristina Keneally has also abandoned the clear commitment of former Premier Nathan Rees (who refused to allow the NSWFB to close Waratah) to maintain front line public services. Read more…
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December 14, 2009
An urgent meeting of Union members, permanent and retained, who are stationed and/or living within MN1 will be held tomorrow Wednesday 16 December 2009 at No. 260 Station, Newcastle, commencing 1100 hrs. Read more…
December 11, 2009
Inside this issue:
- Department attacks your qualifications – and loses
- Hazmat response into RFS areas – update
- RFSA behaves unprofessionally
- Superannuation: are you ripping yourself off?
December 10, 2009
With the ongoing global financial crisis, poorer Australians will be facing a particularly bleak festive season this year. These forgotten people include struggling families, veterans, pensioners and the homeless. The FBEU will again launch it’s Christmas Food Drive, but we need your help.
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December 4, 2009
Inside this issue:
- Hazmat response into RFS areas
- On your bike
- Beds are burning
- Your roster or your job
Hazmat response into RFS areas
Zone Management this week declared that Port Macquarie’s Intermediate Hazmat appliance could be responded on its own into RFS areas, with any additional manpower required able to be provided by the RFS. This is quite simply not on.
Firstly, the RFS has no role in hazmat. Secondly, specialist hazmat appliances provide support to NSWFB stations who attend and require assistance. Their role is not to operate as a stand-alone hazmat unit.
Members are to ensure that hazmat support units are supported by (at least) one other NSWFB appliance whenever they are responded to attend a hazmat incident within a Rural Fire District.
On your bike
Just when you thought you’d seen it all, UK fire service management this week wheeled out their latest fire safety and prevention initiative: firefighters on pushbikes. To quote directly from the BBC:
“The Stop and Talk initiative is the first of its kind in Scotland … It involves firefighters on bikes going into local communities to talk to people about any safety issues and address anti-social behaviour concerns.
The pedalling officers will also visit schools, business and clubs.”
The stupidity of some fire service project-mongers knows no bounds.
Beds are burning
Staying with the UK’s fire services, which remain plagued by industrial strife throughout the country due to savage cuts to service budgets and more recently, frontline services and jobs, the London Evening Standard recently reported that the employers were now after both the roster and the beds.
“Beds are to be removed from London fire stations to prevent firefighters sleeping on night duty. The London fire authority was today expected to approve the plan as part of changes to shifts. It wants to put all 5,800 firefighters on 12-hour shifts to allow for more training and community safety work during the day.”
Your roster or your job
South Yorkshire fire crews were recently forced to resort to strike action after the fire authority threatened to sack its firefighters to force through roster changes. FBU members voted five to one to strike against plans to sack 744 firefighters to force through new contracts requiring 12-hour day shifts from 1 January.
The reason for the bosses’ change to a 12-12 roster? To carry out more community fire prevention work.
Jim Casey
State Secretary