Outcome of FRNSW Dispute over Code Reds – Code Reds Updated
Further to last night’s Sitrep, FRNSW and the FBEU attended conciliation today before the IRC regarding FRNSW dispute over the Code Reds issued earlier this week, in support of the Fix Our Fire Service Industrial Campaign.
As per the Code Reds and the Sitrep issued on Wednesday, this campaign is an industrial campaign and is an opportunity for you all to show your support for your Log of Claims in Award negotiations.
After discussions with the Department today at the IRC the FBEU has agreed to amend our Code Red as follows (changes highlighted in yellow):
Effective immediately members are hereby instructed to immediately cease wearing FRNSW issued duty-wear shirts/T-shirts while performing any work or duties for FRNSW and are instead to wear union and/or industrial campaign t-shirts if you have one.
Effective immediately members are hereby instructed to use washable chalk and/or other removable materials such as banners, posters, flags etc to display Union, industrial and/or campaign related material on FRNSW appliances, vehicles and premises.
Effective immediately members are hereby instructed to not adhere to any direction to remove Union, industrial and/or campaign related materials and slogans from FRNSW premises and vehicles including emergency response vehicles until the Code Reds are lifted. At such time removal of this material should be undertaken outside of working hours.
Effective immediately all members are hereby instructed to not comply with any policy, order, instruction, direction or any other such communication from FRNSW which restricts your ability to speak freely to members of the public and or on social media regarding issues relating to the fire service and the industrial campaign. These activities should be undertaken outside of working hours.
As you can see from the new Code Red, numbers 5 and 6 of the original Code Red have been lifted, however the rest of the Code Reds remain effective subject to the highlighted changes.
These changes will be formally issued as Code Reds also.
A reminder to all members that as per our initial Code Red and further information issued, any material displayed should be about the health and safety and industrial issues in your workplace as they relate to our Fix Our Fire Service Industrial campaign and the Award Log of Claims. No material should contain any offensive or inappropriate language.
Further, a reminder that no material should be displayed on painted surfaces of vehicles.
We also reiterate to members that if at any time while taking these actions any member is concerned that participating in the actions in compliance with the code reds poses any risk to you, a colleague and/or a member of the community you should immediately cease taking the action and contact the FBEU directly for further instruction.
These Code Reds will cease at 4pm Tuesday 4 April unless otherwise instructed.
In the meantime if you receive any direction or instruction to not comply with the Code Reds as issued today you should politely decline and contact either your SCOM representative or the FBEU office immediately for further advice.
We are due to meet with the Department for Award negotiations on that day and members will be update on progress of negotiations following that meeting.
In Unity,
Leighton Drury
State Secretary
A printable version of this Sitrep can be downloaded here.
