Thank you to all the members who participated in our Award survey. Our Union is always stronger when Members have a say. We appreciate your experience, your time, and your input.
The FBEU Award Bargaining Team has been listening to your feedback, both through your Union Delegates and the Award survey. We are compiling a log of claims that will be endorsed by the membership.
Stay tuned for this next step and your say.
In the meantime, I can say that feedback from Members is overwhelming supportive of the direction of our bargaining priorities and equally aligned against the dangerous reform proposed by FRNSW.
On Tuesday, FBEU representatives met with FRNSW for the second scheduled Award negotiation meeting. The Members were represented by three FBEU Industrial Officers and two Elected Officials with full authority to present the responses from the Union.
At that meeting the FBEU provided a full response to each, and every claim put by the department based on Member’s feedback received to date through the survey. We are now awaiting further information from FRNSW as to how their claims are substantiated. FRNSW is still considering whether they will supply us with this request.
Members will be aware of communications from FRNSW to all staff Tuesday evening on the matter. Unfortunately, FRNSW seem to be more focused on attendance during the meeting then progressing bargaining productively.
Ironically, we note that no Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, nor the Commissioner have been present at either meeting.
Our Union has democratic decision-making built into our Constitution, we act on behalf of you – the membership, we have processes so that you get the ultimate say. What is abundantly clear from your feedback is that we are dealing with a crisis of confidence in our employer, both to deliver for Career Firefighters and for the communities we serve.
You deserve a seat at the table when decisions are made about your workplace and your health and safety. We want to avoid disputes like PAD and instead proactively engage in real and positive change for Career Firefighters in NSW like, delivering safe fire stations, state of the art training and modernising our appliances.
If FRNSW have any remaining appetite to act with accountability and demonstrate respect to the workers who front up to the community, I strongly urge them to re-read their core values statement, to get out of the sandpit and get this done without the rubbish.
