News

SitRep 19/2026

May 29, 2026

2027 AWARD LOG OF CLAIMS

 Bargaining for the 2027 Award round is fast approaching, and this week, the State Committee of Management (SCOM) met to endorse the Log of Claims that the FBEU will pursue across all three Awards, which expire in February 2027.

SCOM acknowledges and appreciates the contribution of members throughout this process, whether through the recent survey or discussions at the 2026 Delegates Conference.

Collectively, we have made significant gains during the previous 2023 and 2024 Award rounds. Through the efforts of members, the FBEU has secured major reform to our pay and conditions, including minimum crewing, the new health screening model, stronger consultative mechanisms, and greater recognition of the training and professionalisation of firefighting services. These reforms reinforce FBEU members’ ownership of their conditions of employment and provide important building blocks for the future.

With the priorities and expectations of the membership clearly articulated, this next round of bargaining presents an important opportunity to build that foundation and shape the future of the industry for both current and future generations of FBEU members.

The key priorities agreed by SCOM are:

• A comprehensive review of rank relativities recognising the need to reassess the value of all levels within the current rank structure, including consideration of training requirements, operational expectations, career progression, and mobility;
• A full review of rescue work classifications and allowances, particularly GLR, including addressing the quantum of the allowance following the recent arbitration outcomes; and
• Significant reform of the retained system to improve recognition and value for retained members, while addressing serious concerns regarding the long-term sustainability of the current model.

All three documents (Retained, Permanent and D&D) can be found here.

The FBEU will seek to commence discussions with the Department and Government well in advance of the Award expiry, with the aim of identifying matters capable of early agreement between the parties. Importantly, members should note that neither the Department nor the Government has indicated its intentions ahead of bargaining, including any position regarding the Government’s wages policy.

Accordingly, the Log of Claims is not presented as a draft Award, but rather as a strategic and conceptual document outlining the Union’s key priorities. Consistent with this approach, no headline wages figure has been included at this stage. Wages will instead form part of broader discussions with members as bargaining progresses and, in keeping with the Union’s democratic decision-making process, will ultimately be guided by direct member input.

What happens next?

Online delegates’ meetings will be held over the coming weeks to provide updates and opportunities for questions and discussion. Meeting details will be circulated shortly, and members are encouraged to raise any questions regarding the bargaining process or the Log of Claims direct with their delegate or SCOM representative. As usual, the Union will also convene Special General Meetings of members to formally endorse the Log of Claims. Dates for those meetings will be advised in due course.

 

RESPONSE CAPABILITY FOR SYDNEY METRO INCIDENTS

As last reported in SitRep 13/2025, the absence of a dedicated permanent emergency response capability for incidents on the Sydney Metro network remains unresolved. Unlike Sydney Trains, which maintains the specialist Rail Fire & Emergency (RFE) Unit, no equivalent permanent capability currently exists for the Metro despite its growing operational footprint and risk profile.

In 2024, the Department submitted a business case to Treasury seeking funding to address this capability gap, with the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) also aware of the issue in connection with the operator’s emergency management arrangements.

Consultation will now commence regarding a capability uplift for Metro incident response, including specialist training, equipment, staffing, pay and allowances for members operating within the Metro environment. We are also aware that the Department will begin conducting meetings with select stations and HSRs next week as part of this process.  A placeholder provision has been included in the Log of Claims to ensure the Award can accommodate any future agreed capability arrangements, and to ensure any capability uplift can be managed safely.

OUTDUTIES REMINDER

Members are reminded of some key principles around outduties:

1. An outduty is a period of relief where you:
   1. Perform relief at another station during your rostered shift which exceeds 4 hours in length, and
      1. You begin and/or end your rostered shift at a station which is not your base station, or
      2. You both begin and end your rostered shift at your base station but perform work at another station which exceeds 4 hours in length.
2. You cannot be required to perform an outduty outside of your fire district (though you can choose to do so). Look on the Intranet for your station’s fire district map.
3. An outduty attracts kilometres if you use your private vehicle. An outduty attracts the relieving allowance.
4. Members are only required to perform 12 outduties per year. For members on 24-hour rosters, each outduty performed counts as TWO outduties, meaning members on 24-hour rosters technically only need to complete 6 outduties per year.
5. A member can decline to perform any outduty once 12 have been completed in a given year.

Any questions on outduties should be directed to your SCOM Rep, contact details here, or through an industrial inquiry by clicking here.

 

RETAINED SUB-BRANCH

The State Committee has agreed to investigate rule changes which would abolish the Retained Sub-Branch and replace it with three new sub-branches made up of Retained members based on geographic location. There is a significant amount of work ahead before the proposal can be finalised, which will require member input and voting. More information will be provided as the proposal progresses.

In Unity,

Leighton Drury
State Secretary

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