News

SitRep 63/2024

December 11, 2024

NSW PFAS Inquiry 

Last week the FBEU gave evidence to Select Committee on ‘PFAS Contamination in Waterways and Drinking Water Supplies Throughout NSW’, where the Union was joined by the NSW EPA and FRNSW to discuss the impacts of PFAS on FBEU members and the broader community.

As stated in the FBEU submission (found here), firefighters offer unique and important context to PFAS discussions having used the “forever-chemical” as foam in training and operational settings. PFAS, among the many other toxic chemicals we are exposed to, are strongly connected to adverse health effects. With the World Health Organisation’s International Agency of Research on Cancer (IARC) declaring our occupation as ‘cancer-causing’, decision-makers must now do more to protect firefighters. See more on the IARC decision here at Sitrep 41/2022.

The FBEU have made 2 key recommendations to the Committee. 

Recommendation 1: That the NSW State Government moves to urgently expand Presumptive Cancer Legislation to include the following firefighter diseases: oesophageal cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, penile cancer, pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, uterine cancer, and malignant mesothelioma.

Recommendation 2: That the NSW State Government provides appropriate funding for FRNSW to commence a suite of decontamination works, in consultation with FEBU members, dedicated to prioritising firefighter health and minimising occupational carcinogen exposure pathways.

The Union has also called for greater funding to address PFAS remediation at our worksites, and to address the decaying state of FRNSW properties across the state.

Members can access a recording of FBEU evidence here.

Health Screening Transition Update

As advised in Sitrep 2/2024 the Health Screening Transition Working Party continues to meet with FRNSW to consult on the new Health Screening Program which includes the cancer screening and PFAS testing regimes achieved in the last award negotiations. Currently, the FBEU is reviewing documentation which will be provided to members’ medical practitioners when completing the cancer screening, ensuring that doctors are fully aware of the cancer risks that firefighting poses when performing the screening is a top priority. In the meantime, FRNSW are said to be in the process of procuring a suitable provider to administer the PFAS-specific test and an update will be provided later this week.

The FBEU have raised issue with the late implementation of these arrangements, which were designed to be implemented within 6 months of the certification of the 2023 Award. The Union are hoping that these arrangements are now on track for completion and will endeavour to update members as soon as possible.

FBEU Dues Increase

With the recent wage increase now agreed, SCOM has resolved, in accordance with the FBEU Rules, to increase the dues payable by members. As per our current Rule 6, membership dues are set as follows:

(5)  The total weekly dues for permanent firefighters shall be calculated by taking 0.95% of the total weekly rate of pay of an FRNSW Firefighter Level 1 and then multiplying that figure by 1.09 to provide for the Federal Government’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) and rounding the result to the nearest cent. 

(6)  Subject to sub-rule (8), the total weekly dues for retained firefighters shall be calculated at the rate of one fifth of the total weekly dues payable under sub-rule (5), rounded to the nearest cent. The monthly dues shall be calculated by multiplying the weekly dues by 52.1785, dividing that figure by 12 and rounding the result to the nearest cent. 

This increase will ensure the continued financial strength of our Union. Members will therefore see a slight increase in the dues payable to the FBEU as below:

 

Permanent Members

Per week increase of $1.84 to $16.70 weekly; or
Per fortnight increase of $3.68 to $33.40 fortnightly.

Retained Members

Per week increase of $0.37 to $3.34 weekly; or
Per fortnight increase $0.74 to $6.68 fortnightly.

Should members have any concerns or questions regarding this please contact your SCOM Representative or the FBEU Office.

In Unity,

Leighton Drury
State Secretary

Click here to download a printable version of this Sitrep.