News

SITREP No. 16/2010

April 23, 2010

Inside this issue

• April 2010 SGM results
• Can you remember your sick leave absences from 8 years ago?
• Sub-Branch election update

April 2010 SGM results

Yesterdays special general meeting was well attended and the votes from that meeting where added to those submitted by 36 sub-branch meetings. The two questions considered at the meeting were:

Question One –  From the State Committee re: Settlement of Waratah staffing dispute

“That this meeting notes and endorses the proposed terms of settlement for the Waratah staffing dispute, as set out here below:

1. The parties agree to support the implementation of the strategic plan for Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, meaning:

a) the transfer of permanent members from Waratah to Toronto;

b) the relocation of West Wallsend’s retained staff and appliance to Holmesville, which will commence operations as a jointly staffed station with permanent staffing of Station Officer and three firefighters working the 10/14 Roster and having their own appliance (see point 3(a) below);

c) The relocation of Boolaroo’s retained staff and appliance to Teralba, which will then operate with two appliances;

d) The relocation of New Lambton’s retained staff and appliance and Hamilton’s permanent staff and appliance to Broadmeadow which, once constructed, will commence operations as a jointly staffed station. It is understood that Newcastle Hazmat will also relocate to the Broadmeadow site;

e) The relocation of Wallsend’s retained staff and appliance to Marylands, which following construction will commence operations as a jointly staffed station with the addition of permanent staffing of Station Officer and three firefighters working the 10/14 Roster and having their own appliance;

f) The enhancement of Morrisset to a jointly staffed station with the station’s retained staff keeping their own appliance and the addition of permanent staffing of Station Officer and three firefighters working the 10/14 Roster and having their own appliance; and

g) The relocation of Swansea’s retained staff and appliance and Belmont’s permanent staff and appliance to a new station which, once constructed, will commence operations as a jointly staffed station. The retained staff at Belmont will remain at Belmont and revert to a retained station with their own appliance.

2. The six existing Logistics Support Vehicles (LSVs) will over the course of the next six months be staffed instead by permanent firefighters on suitable duties working the 10/14 Roster, or local retained firefighters, on the understanding that one of the four existing Sydney LSVs may be relocated to the Central Coast and further, that if sufficient suitable duties staff are not available then overtime may not be worked to staff the LSVs.

3. In return for the Union’s agreement to points 1 and 2 above, the Department will:

a) commence operations at the new Holmesville Fire Station, which is expected to open in May 2010, as a jointly staffed station with Station Officer and three permanent firefighters working the 10/14 Roster; and

b) commence operations at Ballina, Batemans Bay, Nelson Bay, Cessnock and Maitland Fire Station with Station Officer and three permanent firefighters working the Special Roster by no later than 1 September 2010; and

c) immediately establish a new country transfer register for the Eurobodalla Shire Council Local Government Area by the variation the Permanent Award’s Clause 28.2.1; and

d) immediately establish a new regional transfer register for the Cessnock, Maitland, Port Stephens and Dungog Local Government Areas.”

Question Two – From the State Committee re: Cessation of UFUA funding

“That effective on and from 1 July 2010, the Union is to cease forwarding any funds to the United Firefighters Union of Australia and/or its NSW Branch until authorised otherwise by a further General Meeting of members.”

The results were as follows:

Question 1 – Carried

Question 2 – Carried

To see the results for each meeting please click [download id=”25″].

Can you remember your sick leave absences from 8 years ago?

Members have begun faxing through their letters of notification of sick leave interviews in accordance with the Union’s Sick Leave and Attendance Management Guide (AMP) (see SITREP 14/2010). The Union is finding that some members are being called for interviews for absences as far as 2002!

This is not only ludicrous, but also outside of the Department’s own SLaNT procedures. If the Department has an issue with someone’s attendance, they should sort it out as soon as possible. As such, members should only be interviewed about sick leave taken in the 26 week period prior to the date of the letter they are sent, that being the longest period for a trigger/pattern in the AMP.

Sub-Branch Elections update

Ballot papers have today been posted to all members of the Country Sub-Branch in order to vote for their sub-branch representatives. No other elections are required and the Returning Officer will release a notice declaring all new sub-branch representatives shortly. If you are a member of the County Sub-branch and do not receive a ballot paper in the next three business days please contact the Union Office to ensure your address is correct.

Jim Casey

State Secretary