News

Code Red

September 7, 2011

Stop Work against O’Farrell’s IR laws: Thursday 8 September 2011

The Union’s State Committee of Management has resolved that all on-duty members as listed here below are to stop work for two hours tomorrow, 8 September 2011, in order to attend tomorrow’s public demonstrations against the O’Farrell Government’s IR laws and public sector wages policy. Of course, all off-duty members – permanent and retained – who are able to do so are encouraged to attend one of these rallies in turnout gear in solidarity with those members stopping work.

Illawarra

The following Illawarra members are instructed to stop work for two hours at 0800 hours and proceed with their pumper to the South Coast Labour Council’s rally at Lowden Square, Wollongong:

277 Dapto, 503 Wollongong, 422 Warrawong and Duty Commander MS1.

Sydney

The following Sydney members are instructed to stop work for two hours at 1100 hours and proceed immediately with their station’s pumper (or section’s vehicle(s)) to the FBEU’s rallying point at St Mary’s Cathedral Square, College St, Sydney. Appliances are to be parked in College Street, opposite St Mary’s Cathedral, at 1130 hours, with members then proceeding at 1200 hours on to the Unions NSW rally in the Domain, followed by a march to Hyde Park.

Sydney pumper crews:

1 City of Sydney (Flyer only), 3 The Rocks, 5 Newtown, 7 Horningsea Park, 10 Redfern, 14 Ashfield, 17 Drummoyne, 19 Silverwater, 22 Leichardt, 23 Gladesville, 28 Marrickville, 29 Arncliffe, 30 Lidcombe, 34 Riverwood, 35 Botany, 38 Pyrmont, 39 Randwick, 40 Willoughby, 41 Smithfield, 42 Ryde, 43 Seven Hills, 45 Miranda, 47 Revesby, 51 Forestville, 53 Neutral Bay, 56 Matraville, 58 Beecroft, 61 Lane Cove, 64 Lakemba, 65 Rydalmere, 69 Dee Why, 73 Fairfield, 85 Chester Hill, 88 Campbelltown, 90 Menai and 94 Kellyville.

Sydney Duty Commanders:

ME1, ME2, ME3, MW1, MW2, MS2 and MS3 Duty Commanders.

Directorates:

All Sydney-based members of the Education and Training Directorate with the exception of members who are directly delivering or receiving Recruit training and the SF Program (only), who are exempt.

General instructions

Only permanent members rostered onto the listed stations’ pumpers are to stop work and attend (additional/specialist appliances and crews attached to the listed stations are exempt).
Participating stations attending a call at the time they are scheduled to stop work are to stop work immediately following the conclusion of that call (ie, upon sending of the stop message) and proceed to their rally destination.
As with all previous industrial action, members are again instructed to ignore Departmental orders to the contrary (including Acting Commissioner Benson’s memo of 7 September) and take their FRNSW appliances/vehicles. This will allow striking members to respond if necessary immediately following the action, and is therefore the most responsible course of action to take.

All remaining members, permanent and retained, are to continue to respond as normal. Members who remain at work and who move up to cover a striking station (or Executive Officer members who respond in lieu of striking Duty Commanders) are not acting in breach of Union instructions.
Tomorrow’s action is the second in a series of actions against O’Farrell’s unjust IR laws. While the workplaces directed to stop work tomorrow are in many instances the same as those nominated on 15 June, it would be wrong to assume that these stations/sections will be nominated again and/or that no other stations/sections will be selected in future. It is expected that other stations’ members (including on-duty members exempted from the stop work actions of 15 June and tomorrow) will be called upon to participate in further actions over the coming months.

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Regional NSW rallies

The following regional areas will also be holding rallies on 8 September. On-shift members in these locations who are not attending an incident at these times are to attend, whilst remaining on-duty and available to respond if necessary.

Albury: 11:30am QE2 Square, Albury

Coffs Harbour: 11:30am Brelsford Park, Coffs Harbour (marching to Andrew Fraser’s office)

Cooma: 12 noon Centennial Park, Cooma

Cowra: 11:00am – Squire Park, Kendal Street, Cowra (Refreshments at Cowra Services Club, 12 noon)

Dubbo: 11:30am Victoria Park, Dubbo

Grafton: 11:30am Grafton Market Square, Grafton

Kempsey: 11:30am Service Clubs Park, Belgrave Street, Kempsey

Lismore: 11am Riverside Park, Lismore

Merimbula: 12 Noon Garden Room, Merimbula Golf Club

Moree: 11:45am – The Max, Function & Conference Centre Corner of Balo St & Heber St, Moree

Port Macquarie: 11:45am – Westport Park, Port Macquarie 12 noon – March to Town Green

Queanbeyan: 12 noon Queanbeyan Hospital, Corner of Collette St and Erin St

Tamworth: 11:30am CWA Park, Tamworth

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The O’Farrell Government’s IR laws and wages policies now prevent the IRC from awarding wage increases based on work value and impose a blanket 2.5% per annum ceiling on future public sector wage increases. Our last stop work action on 15 June was a protest against the Government’s IR bill. Sadly, Fred Nile and the Shooters helped vote that bill into law, so tomorrow’s action is now our first shot in bringing that law, that policy and this anti–worker Government down.

Jim Casey

State Secretary