2013 SGM – Medical First Responder

June 7, 2013

Notice of June 2013 SGM

The State Committee of Management has resolved to call a Special General Meeting commencing Friday 21 June 2013 at the Trades Hall auditorium, 377 Sussex Street Sydney.

Members are reminded that in accordance with Rule 11, this first Sydney SGM will be the only meeting at which the items on the attached agenda may be amended, with Sub-Branch meetings to then consider and vote on that meeting’s motions as follows:

Friday 21 June

The Sydney SGM (first and opening section) will be held commencing 1100 hrs at the Trades Hall auditorium, 377 Sussex Street Sydney.

Monday 24 June

Illawarra – 503 Station, Wollongong commencing 1830 hrs

Tuesday 25 June

Central Coast – 304 Station, Gosford commencing 0900 hrs
Newcastle – 260 Station, Newcastle commencing 1200 hrs
Sydney West – 97 Station, Huntingwood commencing 1830 hrs

Thursday 27 June

The Sydney SGM (second and closing section) will be held commencing 1100 hrs at the Union Office at 1-7 Belmore Street, Surry Hills.

Retained and Country Sub-Branch members may meet locally (but once only) at any time between 0800 hrs on Saturday 22 June and 1000 hrs on Thursday 27 June provided that:

a)      a quorum of least seven financial Union members will be present throughout the course of the meeting; and

b)      written notice of intention to hold a meeting together with the proposed time, date and location is received by the Union office by no later than 1500 hrs on Friday 21 June.

A separate notice advising the times, dates and locations of all such meetings will then be faxed to all members’ workplaces and posted on the Union’s website by 1800 hrs on Friday 21 June.

Members are reminded of Rule 51(18), which provides that “any financial member of the Union is entitled to attend, participate in and vote at any Sub-Branch meeting held pursuant to sub-rule (6), but only insofar as their attendance, participation and voting concerns the business on the agenda of a General Meeting.”

Jim Casey
State Secretary

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21 June 2013 SGM Agenda

• State Secretary’s report
• Motions on notice (x4)

1.    From the State Committee re: Flexible Rostering Arrangements

“That in recognition of:

a)    the growing demand of members for flexible hours of work and leave;

b)    the various trials conducted since 2008 (e.g., part-time roster and job share) which continue to this day despite being outside of (and arguably, contrary to) the Award;

c)    the lack of certainty for members working outside of the Award’s agreed rosters with the apparent agreement of management; and

d)    the growing trend towards more flexible work arrangements across various industries and industrial relations systems;

the State Secretary is to commence negotiations with the Department for the amendment of the Crown Employees (Fire and Rescue NSW Permanent Firefighting Staff) Award 2011 to allow for alternative rosters on the understanding that:

e)    flexibility in work hours should not be unfettered, and that alternative work arrangements will therefore still be rostered;

f)     alternative rosters will be developed across an eight-week cycle, and in consultation with the member, at least fourteen days prior to the commencement of the next eight-week roster cycle;

g)    it remains the case that no member will be able to be directed to work an alternative roster to that in operation at the station/location to which they are attached;

h)    a member who elects to work an alternative roster will also be able to elect to return to their default roster (being the roster in operation at the station/location to which they are attached) at any time with 14 days notice;

i)     alternative rosters will not require members to work split or broken shifts, and that any rostered shifts will be separated by a break of no less than eight hours;

j)     members who choose to work less than full time hours will be paid and accrue leave on a pro-rata basis;

k)    overtime will continue to be payable for all time worked outside of rostered hours (including alternative rosters) or in excess of 336 hours over an eight-week cycle;

l)     alternative rosters will allow at least 8 consecutive hours between the cessation of one rostered shift and the commencement of the next rostered shift;

m)   alternative rosters will limit work to no more than five days in any rolling seven day period;

n)    change of shift arrangements, which currently operate outside of (and arguably, contrary to) the Award, will cease to be regulated by FRNSW Standing Orders and will instead be inserted into the Award;
and finally

o)    the Award’s current 16 hour limit on continuous work will remain, but a new subclause (similar in intent to the existing 12.17.2) will be inserted to allow members to elect (but not be directed) to work for up to 24 hours straight if they wish.”

State Committee of Management recommendation: SUPPORT

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2.    From the State Committee re: Annual Leave rosters

“That this meeting endorses the changing of the present leave groups from 1 January 2014 so that the A and B Platoon leave groups will thereafter start 2 days later and the C and D Platoon leave groups will start two days earlier, thereby:

1)    avoiding the problem with the current leave groups whereby members either start or finish their leave groups half way through a set of shifts;and

2)    reducing the break between the last and first shifts worked following the first annual leave period from 30 to 28 days but increasing the break between the last and first shifts worked following the second annual leave period from 30 to 36 days.”

State Committee of Management recommendation: SUPPORT

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3.    From the rank file (Rule 11(4)) re: Future voting on industrial matters

“That where a proposed alteration to pay and/or conditions of employment arises which has peculiar application to an individual award (i.e. the Permanent Award or Retained Award), it shall normally be voted upon, or considered for adoption by, only those members who work under that award, however, where the Committee of Management is of the view that the pay and/or conditions of employment under consideration may have implications for, or a direct or indirect impact upon the pay and/or conditions of employment for firefighters generally it may put any such proposal to a vote of members generally”.

State Committee of Management recommendation: SUPPORT

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4.    From the State Committee re: Medical First Responder

“That this meeting recognises:

a)    the intention of the O’Farrell Government and FRNSW management to pursue a Medical First Responder (MFR) role for permanent firefighters, without any extra pay;

b)    that MFR work may be introduced even if a serious and sustained industrial campaign is undertaken to resist it;

c)    that remaining uncommitted as to whether or not we should perform this work is no longer an option;

and therefore confirms the Union’s in-principle support for the performance of this work by permanent firefighters subject to two conditions, being:

1)    the O’Farrell Government’s agreement to a 12.5% wage increase for all members who agree to perform MFR duties; and

2)    the endorsement of any proposed MFR model for FRNSW by a subsequent General Meeting of members;

and further resolves to actively and stridently resist any attempt by FRNSW management to implement MFR unless and until conditions 1 and 2 above have been met.”

State Committee of Management recommendation: SUPPORT

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• Meeting close