News

SitRep 33/2025

October 4, 2025

HEALTH SCREENING TRANSITION UPDATE

The inclusion of comprehensive Cancer Screening and PFAS Blood Testing represented a significant win for FBEU members during the 2023 Award negotiations. The FBEU has been in consultation with FRNSW on the implementation of these programs as part of the broader health screening process.

 In July, the FBEU indicated to the Department that we were happy for PFAS Blood Testing to proceed by seeking expressions of interest. We have sought an explanation as to why this has not yet progressed.

 This is an important issue that officials will be keeping a close eye on.

 Consultation on the Cancer Screening process is near completion – the FBEU has proposed some minor amendments to a previous proposal from the Department, to ensure the screening will be comprehensive.

 We are waiting for the Department’s response, after which point we anticipate cancer screening will be ready to proceed.

 

PRESUMPTIVE CANCER BILL UPDATE

Per Sitrep 31/2025, the Opposition’s Presumptive Cancer Bill passed the Legislative Council (Upper House) on 18  September – a transcript of discussions is available here. “There is no urgency attached to the bill” was the comment from Minns Government representative Penny Sharpe, a comment that would no doubt shock FBEU members and their families.

As described by the Daily Telegraph in this recent story, changes to Presumptive Cancer Legislation for firefighters and their families are quite literally a matter of life and death. Legislative change is critically important and urgently required. In the article, a spokesperson for the Minns Government does state that Labor will introduce their own bill during the next parliamentary sitting, which is mid-October.

In the meantime, members are encouraged to head to the Cover Our Firies campaign website to remind the Minns Government just how urgent this cause is.

 

SAFEWORK NSW ISSUES ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT NOTICE ON FRNSW SAFETY FAILURES

October is National Safe Work Month, and yesterday SafeWork NSW issued yet another improvement notice to FRNSW concerning safety failures – members can find the notice here. The FBEU recently engaged SafeWork NSW after the Department failed to provide key safety documentation related to their attempts to cut minimum safe crewing. The documentation in question included after action reviews from previous FRNSW firefighter fatalities and had been requested by both the FBEU and Health and Safety Representatives independently. Those requests had gone unanswered.

In Sitrep 22/2025, we spoke to the safety prosecution of Queensland Fire Department over the death of QPFU member Izzy Nash, a case representing a serious reality check for all emergency service organisations. Reflection and analysis of these tragic events are crucially important to improving firefighter safety and to examining the provision of training and resources to workers in high-risk work. These are hard but important discussions, and the regulator expects the Department to be facilitating them.

The action taken by the regulator this week follows a previous safety contravention in August, discussed in Sitrep 24/2025. In both instances, the Department has blamed the contravention on a lack of resources in their health and safety team. It goes without saying that this is absolutely no excuse, and hints at a far deeper problem with the organisation’s priorities.

 

BACKPAY AND FBEU DUES INCREASE

Members are encouraged to check their payslips on the understanding that the Department has now processed backpay to members following our recent Award decision.

We have analysed the pay increases and provide tables for Permanent and Retained increases from the Award decision, which includes helpful numbers for the per week, fortnight or hour increases. This Award decision will see thousands of additional dollars in the pockets of all our members.

Additionally, an increase to the dues payable by members is required. As per FBEU 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 $0.84 to $17.54 weekly; or
Per fortnight increase of $1.68 to $35.08 fortnightly.

 

Retained Members

Per week increase of $0.17 to $3.51 weekly; or
Per fortnight increase $0.34 to $7.02 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.