As outlined in Sitrep last week, we met with FRNSW along with government representatives this week to further discuss ongoing Award negotiations.
FRNSW and the Government representatives provided information regarding the costing associated with both the Government’s offer and the FBEU’s claim which we are considering further. We have also requested further information which we are currently waiting on.
The parties are back before the IRC next week, more to follow.
RETAINED OVERPAYMENTS
We are aware that FRNSW is sending emails to any Retained Firefighter who worked on 27 December 2023, informing them of an overpayment. FRNSW states that this is due to the SAP system incorrectly labelling this day as an Additional Public Holiday and paying Overtime rates, which is incorrect.
We are aware that FRNSW mislabelled people with the wrong service number and the wrong recovery amounts and claim to have rectified that.
We have asked them to pause any recovery action until we get a full accounting of what happened and can be confident that the amount proposed to be recovered is accurate for every Firefighter.
We will provide an update once we get some answers from FRNSW.
FRNSW TO THE RESCUE
Members would be aware that FRNSW props up the rescue system in NSW, where the volunteer agencies fail to perform their duties. Our crews do this across the state every single day, with no recognition and no systemic changes to fix the problem at its core.
Part of our 2024 Log of Claims is a claim for all Firefighters to be paid extra for the skill and coverage that we all collectively provide to the rescue system, especially the coverage we provide when the volunteer agencies cannot.
At our Award meeting this week, the Government seemed to assign basically no value to this work. To them, Firefighters propping up a failing volunteer rescue system isn’t worth any extra money, because they claim it provides no benefit to the people of NSW, nor does it represent a productivity or efficiency gain.
To help build our case, we are asking all members to take a note of every single rescue incident that they are turned out to, and to contact the FBEU at garnott@fbeu.net with the incident number and incident information, in the following instances:
Where FRNSW is covering for any other rescue agency for that rescue, or
Where the rescue agency has a delayed turnout, or
Where the rescue agency fails to turn out, or
Where the rescue agency turns out with only 1 rescue operator on their vehicle/appliance, or
Any instance where FRNSW is turned out to support a rescue agency and arrives prior to the rescue agency, or
Any other instances where you think there is something unusual about the rescue arrangements that we should know about.
Your Union values the work you do, and we know the community appreciates that a FRNSW fire truck shows up to rescue incidents even if nobody else is able or willing to do so. With a bit of data, we will be able to demonstrate the value of this work to FRNSW and the Government, too.
