News

SitRep 38/2020

September 18, 2020

• Award – Survey Closing – Have Your Say
• Secretary’s Briefings
• HSRs – Expressions of Interest Open for Committee
• Zooms and Back on the Road!
• Blayney Fire Station
• In Brief: Assist Ambulance and GIPA on New Medical Work

Award – Survey Closing – Have Your Say

More than a thousand members have completed the survey – designed to assist us in developing a log of claims and to understand your willingness in taking action to back in a claim and defend your conditions. The survey is open until September 20. Please take the time to share your thoughts and encourage others to do so.

The survey CLOSES THIS SUNDAY. It takes an average of 13 minutes: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FBEUAward2021

When we close the survey the team of staff, officials and members in the Award Working Group will prepare a report for SCOM on September 24. SCOM will settle a draft log-of-claims and bring that to members for endorsement in October’s AGMs.

It’s really important you have a say. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FBEUAward2021

Secretary’s Briefings

I am holding short fortnightly briefings for delegates. These quick discussions will fill delegates in on the big issues we are working on and will be critical in keeping you and all members informed as we head to Award negotiations.

These briefings will be held EVERY SECOND TUESDAY at 1100hrs. They are set for 30 minutes and they are open to all delegates. Here is the link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86817288238.

I really encourage all delegates to come along if you can.

The upcoming briefings are:

Tuesday 29 September 1100 hrs
Tuesday 13 October 1100 hrs
Tuesday 27 October 1100 hrs (This one may be cancelled for AGMs – more info coming).
Tuesday 10 November 1100 hrs
Tuesday 24 November 1100 hrs

They all have the same Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86817288238

HSRs – Expressions of Interest Open for Committee

This week we sent out the first of an FBEU monthly newsletter for Health and Safety Reps. Health and Safety is Union Business and we are supporting HSRs and all members in their work to make your jobs as safe as possible.

A reminder for HSRS – Expressions of Interest are open for the Committee the FBEU has negotiated with FRNSW. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HSRSEOI

Expressions of Interest are open to those who are:

1. Current HSRs.
2. Committed to participating in an active way.
3. Willing to work together and as part of the FBEU HSR team.
4. Ready to engage with all HSRs across the state and report back, gather info, and facilitate conversations and the active participation of other HSRs.
5. Committed to the principles of working collectively and in the interests of all.

Once we have expressions of interest we will be in touch and will hold a meeting open to all FBEU member HSRs to discuss the make-up of the Committee.

Please note: Each meeting will have room for 7 Representatives (one from Admin and one from Trades). We have committed to building a group that is as representative as possible. There will be a total of 15 Representatives (13 Firefighters to assist in us meeting Quorum and having diverse representation). FRNSW will be represented by management representatives.

The work to establish this Committee is being coordinated by Emily Mayo and staff from the FBEU, alongside HSRs Ryan Cleggett and Matt Jenkins. Members of the FBEU State Committee have also been involved. We have held regular meetings and discussions with HSRs throughout negotiations. If you have any questions get in touch with Emily at emayo@fbeu.net.

Don’t forget the monthly FBEU meetings for all HSRs.

The last Monday of every month 12:30 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89752365818 – NEXT MEETNG MONDAY September 28.

The last Wednesday of every month 18:30 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85008643485 – NEXT MEETNG WEDNESDAY September 30.

Zooms and Back on the Road!

It’s been a very tumultuous year for our Union, in particular our organising work. Visits have been on hold since March due to COVID19 with a brief reprieve in the middle of the year.

I’ve been in discussions this week with our organisers who have been very keen to get back on the road and into your stations. This week I have made the decision that the organisers can slowly begin organising station visits over the next few weeks. We will be planning our visits around areas where we haven’t visited face-to-face and where it’s important we visit because of issues members are working on.

We will continue to run our Zoom meetings and when visiting we will put in place distancing and sanitising. We will revisit this decision in an ongoing way.

If you would like to discuss this or plan a visit, get your delegate to get in touch with your organiser:

Max Murphy – Regional West, Metro West, MS3, ESA – mmurphy@fbeu.net 0408 617 217

Georgie Slater – Metro North, Regional North, ME3 – gslater@fbeu.net 0417 924 151

Jonathon Wright – Metro South (Minus MS3), Regional South, ME 1 and ME 2 – jwright@fbeu.net 0419 753 305

Blayney Fire Station

There are many Fire Stations in the state that leave much to be desired when it comes to safety but Blayney Fire Station has to have some of the worst conditions. Turn out gear stored in the kitchen, women forced to change in a storage cupboard, no proper ventilation and an outside BA sink in one of Australia’s coldest postcodes. These issues have all been identified by the Department numerous times over the last few years, with no follow up and hollow promises. Here’s an article with some pictures of the Station and an overview of the issue at hand: https://bit.ly/3ksXhwJ

Members at Blayney have been working with our organisers and SCOM Representatives to help get action on this issue. SafeWork NSW are helping to assist and provide some direction, and we are currently exploring the possibility of having a new station built. If you have an issue with the quality of your Station and want to do something about it, speak to your delegate or organiser. We are building a list of the Stations that need work (yes, it’s long) and working on plans to organise for improvements, together.

In Brief:

• Assist Ambulance: We received information this week which is contrary to what management has been telling us regarding this issue. We will be meeting next week and an update for members will be provided.
• A few weeks ago we lodged a GIPA to get information on the new Medical work proposed by FRNSW. That was received yesterday and we are still going through a lot of information. That said, it looks like that FRNSW have again not consulted in good faith – or been transparent about their actions. Further to come next week.

In Unity,

Leighton Drury

State Secretary

You can download this SitRep here.