News

2005 June SGM Agenda

June 16, 2005

CENTRAL SYDNEY – The central Sydney SGM will be held at the Tom Mann Theatre, Chalmers Street Surry Hills, commencing 1000 hours on Tuesday 21 June.

SYDNEY WEST – A combined South-West/North-West Sydney Sub-Branch meeting will be held at 97 Station, Huntingwood commencing 1000 hours on Wednesday 22 June.

NEWCASTLE/CENTRAL COAST – A combined Newcastle/Central Coast Sub-Branch will be held at Doyalson RSL commencing 1830 hours on Wednesday 22 June.

ILLAWARRA – The Illawarra Sub-Branch meeting will be held at No. 503 Station, Wollongong commencing 1800 hours on Thursday 23 June.

COUNTRY – Combined Country/Retained Sub-Branch meetings may be held locally at any Fire Station situated outside of the Greater Sydney, Newcastle, Central Coast and Illawarra areas from Thursday 23 June and prior to Monday 27 June, provided that:
a) notice of intention to hold a local meeting has been given to the State Secretary by no later than 1500 hours on Friday 24 June; and
b) a quorum of at least 7 financial Union members will be physically present for the duration of each meeting; and
c) the vote from each meeting is forwarded to the State Secretary prior to 0900 hours on Monday 27 June in order to be added to the total AGM vote.

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  SGM Agenda

Apologies

Secretary’s Report
Questions on notice

1. Debate and voting on a proposal to amend the Permanent Award’s existing Clause 6 (Allowances) by replacing it with a new Clause 6 and associated Table.

“That the proposed amendment of Clause 4, Clause 6 and Table 3 of the permanents’ Award (as presented to this meeting and posted to the Union’s website on Thursday 16 June) be received, noted and endorsed on the understanding that:
a) the current Award’s Drive Motor, Fleet Operations Officer HP (qualifications and drive), Ladder/HP (qualifications and drive) allowances and Rescue Monitor (qualifications and drive) allowances will be abolished;
b) the abolished aerial allowances (only) will continue to be paid to current recipients (ie, sunset);
c) the current non-Award CABA refill cylinders, In Charge Proto Locker, In Charge Salvage Locker, Motor Driving Instructor, pro-rata payment of aerial allowances on overtime and Good Service Badges will be abolished; and
d) Operational Support members will in future cease to be entitled to most allowances, however current Operational Support members will continue to receive any allowance that they presently receive whilst ever they remain in their current Operational Support position;
and that in return:
e) the current Award’s Laundry expenses, Kilometre Allowance, Meal Allowance, Refreshment Allowance, Relieving Allowance, Court Attendance, Accommodation contribution will remain unaltered;
f) the Award will be amended to include a new Service Allowance, Major Aerial Allowance, Minor Aerial Allowance, BA/Hazmat Allowance, Hazmat Support Allowance, Communications Allowances (for Firefighters, Station Officers and Senior Officers), Country Allowance, Remote Area Allowance and Rescue Allowance; and
g) All new weekly allowances will become superable.
In resolving this way, this meeting authorises the State Secretary to arrange for the amendment of the permanents’ Award as soon as practicable in to reflect this endorsed position.”

Proposed amendment of Clause 4, Clause 6 and Table 3

Click here for the revised tables (in PDF format).

Clause 4 – DEFINITIONS

“Minor Aerial Appliance” means a firefighting vehicle equipped with a motorised boom and/or ladder extension with a reach of up to and including 18 metres.

“Major Aerial Appliance” means a firefighting vehicle equipped with a motorised boom and/or ladder extension with a reach of more than 18 metres.

Clause 6 – RATES OF PAY AND ALLOWANCES

6.6 – Except as provided for in this subclause, or in subclause 6.7, in addition to the rates of pay prescribed in Tables 1.1 to 1.3 & 2.1 to 2.3 of Part D, employees, where applicable, shall be paid:

6.6.1 – An amount not exceeding that set by Item 1 of Table 3 of Part D, for all reasonable laundry expenses incurred by an employee who performs duty on a temporary basis outside the GSA. Accounts for such laundry expenses are to be submitted when a claim is made.

6.6.2 – The Kilometre Allowance set at Item 2 of Table 3 of Part D, per kilometre:

6.6.2.1 – for Firefighters who perform a “Stand By” and who are required to use their private vehicle to perform such “Stand By”. The distance shall be the agreed distance or, if the return distance travelled by the employee from the station at which duty commenced to the station at which the “Stand By” is performed is not contained in the Matrices, the actual distance necessarily and reasonably travelled; and

6.6.2.2 – for Operational Firefighters who travel between stations pursuant to Clause 12, Relieving Provisions; and

6.6.2.3 – for Officers who are required to use their own vehicle to attend an incident whilst off duty.

6.6.3 – The Major Aerial Allowance set at Item 3 of Table 3 of Part D, per week, for Firefighters who are qualified to operate a Major Aerial Appliance and who are attached to a station with this equipment.

6.6.4 – The Minor Aerial Allowance set at Item 4 of Table 3 of Part D, per week, for Firefighters and Officers who are qualified to operate a Minor Aerial Appliance and who are attached to a station with this equipment.

6.6.5 – The BA/Hazmat Allowance set at Item 5 of Table 3 of Part D, per week, for Firefighters and Officers who are qualified for and attached to the BA/Hazmat sections at Sydney, Newcastle or Wollongong.

6.6.6 – The Hazmat Support Allowance set at Item 6 of Table 3 of Part D, per week, for Firefighters who are qualified to operate the Hazardous Materials appliance at Berkeley Vale, and who are attached to that station.

6.6.7 – The Communications Allowance set at Item 7 of Table 3 of Part D, per week, for Firefighters who are qualified for and attached to the Communications sections at Sydney, Katoomba, Newcastle or Wollongong, which shall be paid for all purposes.

6.6.8 – The Communications Allowance set at Item 8 of Table 3 of Part D, per week, for Officers who are qualified for and attached to the Communications sections at Sydney, Katoomba, Newcastle or Wollongong, which shall be paid for all purposes.

6.6.9 – The Communications Allowance set at Item 9 of Table 3 of Part D, per week, for Senior Officers who are qualified for and attached to the Communications section at Sydney, which shall be paid for all purposes.

6.6.10 – The Country Allowance set at Item 10 of Table 3 of Part D for Officers and Senior Officers who are attached to a station or workplace located outside the GSA and outside the areas specified in subclause 28.2 of this Award, which shall be paid for all purposes.

6.6.11 – The Remote Area Allowance set at Item 11 of Table 3 of Part D, per week, for Firefighters and Officers who work at Broken Hill or Moree, which shall be paid for all purposes.

6.6.12 – The Rescue Allowance set at Item 12 of Table 3 of Part D for Firefighters and Officers who are recognised as qualified rescue operators by the State Rescue Board and who are attached to a Primary or Secondary Rescue station.

6.6.13 – The Service Allowance set at Item 13 of Table 3 of Part D for Firefighters who have completed the requisite period of employment as a Firefighter.

6.7 – Exceptions, Explanations and Method of Adjustment

6.7.1 – The allowances set at subclauses 6.6.3 to 6.6.13 (inclusive) shall not be payable to the occupants of Operational Support positions.

6.7.2 – The allowances set at subclauses 6.6.3 to 6.6.13 (inclusive) shall be paid in full, regardless of the number of shifts actually worked by the employee within that week and shall form part of the employee’s superable rate of pay.

6.7.3 – The term “attached to” within this Clause shall include employees who are permanently assigned to the relevant station or section, Relieving Employees whose base station is the relevant station or section and who are performing duty at some other location, Relieving Employees with base stations elsewhere who are performing duty at the relevant station or section, employees who are permanently assigned to the relevant station or section but who are performing an Outduty at some other location, employees who are permanently assigned elsewhere but who are performing an Outduty at the relevant station or section but subject to subclauses 6.6.7, 6.6.8, 6.6.9, 6.6.10 and 6.6.11 shall not include employees who perform duty at the relevant station or section pursuant to Clause 9, Overtime.

6.7.4 – The allowances set at subclause 6.6.13 shall in future be adjusted by firstly calculating the increase for 5-10 years service to the nearest cent to arrive at a new base rate and then doubling that new base rate to arrive at the new 10-15 years service amount and tripling that new base rate to arrive at the new 15-plus years service amount.

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2. Debate and voting on the future of the Public Safety Training Package (PSTP)

“That this meeting approves the immediate introduction of the Public Safety Training Package (PSTP) for Recruit Firefighters, Firefighters Level 1, 2 3, and 4 and Qualified Firefighters (only) on the strict proviso that the Department first agrees to the amendment of Clause 13 and Tables 1.2 and 1.3 of the permanents’ Award to give effect to the Union’s revised progression and promotion provisions (as presented to this meeting and posted to the Union’s website on Thursday 16 June), in which case the State Secretary shall be authorised to arrange for the amendment of the Award to the extent necessary to ensure that these revised provisions can take effect on and from the beginning of the first pay period to commence on or after 24 February 2006.”

Proposed amendment of Clause 13 and Tables 1.2 and 1.3

Click here for the revised tables (in PDF format).

Clause 13 – PROGRESSION AND PROMOTION PROVISIONS

Recruit Firefighter to Firefighter Level 1

13.3 – Recruit Firefighters shall be on probation until they have progressed to Firefighter Level 1, or for a period of six months, whichever is the lesser. Progression from Recruit Firefighter to Firefighter Level 1 shall be subject to the satisfactory completion of Certificate 2 Certificate 3 (Firefighting and Emergency Operations) undertaken at the NSW Fire Brigades Training College.

Firefighter Level 1 to Qualified Firefighter

13.4 Progression to Firefighter Level 2, to Firefighter Level 3, to Firefighter Level 4 or to Qualified Firefighter shall be subject to thirty six (36) months service from the date of commencement as a Recruit Firefighter and , in addition to the minimum periods of service required at subclause 13.5, be subject at each classification to the satisfactory completion of the training and/or training competencies specified, by the Commissioner on the advice of the Training Review Committee, for such progression.

13.5 Progression to Firefighter Level 2, to Firefighter Level 3, to Firefighter Level 4 or to Qualified Firefighter, shall also be subject to the satisfactory completion of;

13.5.1 in the case of progression to Firefighter Level 2, twelve (12) months service from the date of commencement as a Recruit Firefighter; or

13.5.2 in the case of progression to Firefighter Level 3, twenty four (24) months service from the date of commencement as a Recruit Firefighter; or

13.5.3 in the case of progression to Firefighter Level 4, thirty six (36) months service from the date of commencement as a Recruit Firefighter; or

13.5.4 in the case of progression to Qualified Firefighter, forty eight (48) months service from the date of commencement as a Recruit Firefighter.

Qualified Firefighter to Senior Firefighter

13.7 Progression from Qualified Firefighter to Senior Firefighter shall be subject to a minimum of two years satisfactory service as a Qualified Firefighter seventy two (72) months service from the date of commencement as a Recruit Firefighter and to the satisfactory completion of the training and/or training competencies specified, by the Commissioner on the advice of the Training Review Committee, for progression to Senior Firefighter.

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3. Howard’s industrial relations agenda and the threat to NSW firefighters

Guest speakers at the Sydney SGM:
John Robertson, Unions NSW
Derek Best and John Devereux, New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union

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Craig Harris
State Secretary
Thursday, 16th June 2005