News

2008 Annual General Meeting

November 18, 2008

The Union’s 98^th Annual General Meeting will be held at the Trades Hall, 377-383 Sussex Street, Sydney commencing at 10.00am on Wednesday 17^th December 2008.

Sub Branch meetings will be held as follows:

Newcastle – 10 am Monday December 15^th No. 260 Station, Cooks Hill.

Central Coast – 2 pm Monday 15^th December at No. 228 Station, Berkeley Vale.

Illawarra – 10 am Tuesday 16^th December No. 503 Station, Wollongong.

Sydney South West – 2 pm Tuesday 16^th December No. 8 Station, Liverpool.

Sydney North West – 6:00pm Tuesday 16^th December No. 97 Station, Huntingwood.

Members now have the right to vote at a fire station provided the following criteria is met:

a) notice of intention to hold a local meeting has been either faxed (02 9218 3488)  or emailed to office@fbeu.net by no later than 5pm Tuesday 16^th December; 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 Union office via fax (02 9218 3488) immediately the meeting has closed/lapsed and certainly prior to 9am Wednesday 17^th December in order to be added to the total AGM vote.

Agenda

• Apologies
• Adoption of 2007 AGM Minutes
• State Secretary’s Annual Report
• Questions on Notice

1.  From the Union’s Rules re honoraria – President (Rule 18)

“That in accordance with Rule 18(7) and the State Committee’s Remuneration Policy (as last amended by the 2006 AGM), this meeting endorses the payment to the President, Comrade Windsor, of an honorarium of $2,720 for the 12 month period following the 2007 AGM, as adjusted by 4.6% firefighter wage movements over that time.”

State Committee of Management recommendation: SUPPORT

2. From the Union’s Rules re honoraria – Returning Officer (Rule 22)

“That in accordance with Rule 22(7), this meeting endorses the payment of the Returning Officer’s annual honorarium of $400 for the 12 month period following the 2007 AGM, as adjusted by 4.6% firefighter wage movements over that time.”

State Committee of Management recommendation: SUPPORT

3. From the Union’s Rules re appointment of Returning Officer (Rule 22)

“That in accordance with Rule 22(1), this meeting appoints Comrade Nathan Begley as Returning Officer for the ensuing 12 months through until the Union’s 2009 Annual General Meeting.”

State Committee of Management recommendation: SUPPORT

4. From the Union’s Rules re appointment of Auditor (Rule 40)

“That the accounting firm of A.J. Williams be re-appointed as the Union’s auditors for a further period of two years and until the 2010 Annual General Meeting is held in accordance with Rule 40.”

State Committee of Management recommendation: SUPPORT

5. From the Rank and File membership Station Officers Sub Branch (Rule 47)

The following motion received from rank and file members:

‘That the FBEU establish a Station Officers Sub-branch of the Union. Further that the SCOM be directed to amend rules 12 and 51 be where necessary to ensure that members of a specialist Sub-branches be eligible to stand for the positions in the geographical Sub-branch in which they work.’

be received, noted and rejected on the following basis;

(i)             the current committee of management is comprised of 14 elected officials 7 of these hold the rank of station officer whilst station officer rank members represent just 12% of the Unions entire membership;

(ii)            with a position on the Union’s committee of management established specifically for station officer members it would be inappropriate to also allow station officer members eligibility to contest all geographically defined positions on the Union’s committee of management;

(iii)       the Union’s committee of management is itself currently seeking to reach a position it can take to the Union’s rank and file that will modernize the Union’s Rules and address the issues of representation, governance and increased participation by members in the Union’s direction and democratic control;

(iv)      station officers, captains and firefighters have historically worked closely together and form the very foundation of a fire brigade and indeed of the camaraderie and team work that defines Unionism and the FBEU in particular. The Union’s committee of management believes that separating these ranks into discreet sub branches runs the risk of undermining our unity and creating division in the work place that is likely to be counter productive to our collective interests and dangerous on the fireground.

State Committee of Management recommendation: Reject

6. Life Membership Comrade Darryl Snow (Rule 52)

“That in recognition of the significant contribution made by Comrade Darryl Snow as Illawarra Sub-Branch Secretary from May 1994 until February 1999 and as FBEU President from February 1999 until May 2006, during which period the Union made a number of historic gains, this meeting resolves to admit Comrade Snow as a Life Member of the Union in accordance with Rule 52 (1).”

State Committee of Management recommendation: Support

7. Remuneration Policy (Rule 19 (5) i )

“That the State Secretary’s decision to pay members of the Union’s State Committee of Management in accordance with the Union’s Remuneration Policy and in so doing not pay for $22 buffet breakfasts on the basis that members of State Committee each receive an honoraria of $2720 for expenses incurred in carrying out their responsibilities as members of that body be upheld and in doing so this meeting notes that Comrades Perrin, Reilly, Smith, Fewtrell and Martin each being members of the Union’s State Committee of Management have objected to the State Secretary’s decision.”

State Committee of Management recommendation: Support

• Meeting Close