The rapidly deteriorating relationship between the Union and the Department took yet another turn for the worse today when the employer sought and secured a time extension to submit its evidence against firefighters. As a result, your employer will now have more time to prepare its case against your wage rise, and your Union will have less time to respond.
For its part, the Union argued against any departure from the previously agreed timetable for our wage case, and warned that industrial action would follow in the event that our case was prejudiced in any way as a result of today’s proceedings. The employer pressed on regardless.
The Union’s State Committee this afternoon resolved that whilst today’s time extension was unlikely to be reversed, the employer should nonetheless be held accountable for having sought the extension in the first place.
Accordingly, all members are hereby instructed that effective on and from 1800 hours today, Tuesday 17 June 2008:
•no member is to perform any relieving, stand-bys or out-duties. Members are to return to and remain at their base station, save for GSA-based members who are currently relieving out of the GSA, who should remain at their present location. (For clarification regarding the operation of relieving bans, see the notice on the Union’s website issued 28 March 2008.); and
•no member is to perform any paperwork or administrative duties (including fire reports, BRIMS, PIP’s, CARS, FANS, etc.) other than for firefighter pay or leave related matters.
These bans are to remain in place until 1800 hours tomorrow, Wednesday 18 June, at which time members are to then resume normal duties, including the performance of relieving and out-duties.
The Union will lodge all of its opening evidence and submissions with the IRC this Friday 20 June, and the Department now has until Tuesday 5 August to do likewise. Hearings remain scheduled to commence Monday 25 August.
