Region North bans – Union bans to commence 1800hrs
November 24, 2004
Region North management have recently embarked on a campaign of mindless disputation with the Union over the provision of meals and refreshments. Management have repeatedly attempted to thwart reasonable award based claims for meal and refreshment allowances in what can only be described as an exercise in bloody mindedness. Meal allowances that have been paid for years and fully signed off by the Inspector are now being rejected without reason or discussion. The contempt for both firefighters and the Award is unabashed and attempts by the Union to reason with local management have been shunned.
The Region’s bloody mindedness reached its peak this month when it illegally deducted monies from a number of members’ pays because local management did not agree with a Station Officer’s decision to provide his crew with refreshments whilst they were on Brigade business and away from the station for more than two hours. The Department, rather than apply the Award, chose instead to deduct the cost of the actual refreshments from the firefighters’ pays as an overpayment.
Our patience is exhausted – the Union will not tolerate Region North’s attempts to starve and rob Union members.
Accordingly, the following relieving bans are to be implemented from 1800 hours today, Friday 26 November 2004. These bans are to remain in place until 0800 hours, Monday 29 November 2004:
No member attached to any station in Region North is to perform any relieving, stand-bys or out-duties. Members are to return to and remain at their base station, save for:
any members who are already performing a country relief may remain at their present location; and
members holding or acting in Operational Support positions, who are to remain in those positions and are not return to operational duties to fill casual vacancies.
Members are not to change platoons to fill known or unknown absences, and members who act as ‘Z’ relievers are to remain at their base station on the platoon they are currently working.
