News

Today’s In Orders announce the introduction of refreshment packs and fresh incident catering for fourth alarm and greater calls. The Union has been consulted throughout the development of this proposal and agrees that in all instances the provision of food is preferable to the payment of the relevant allowances. Given the change in arrangements for providing refreshments and meals and the onset of the Bushfire period where extended incidents become more prevalent, the Union thought is was timely to remind members of all of their entitlements relating to fire ground meals.

Bans imposed at 1800 hours Friday 19 September are lifted effectively 12:30 today.

After over thirteen years of safe and effective minimum crewing levels for every professional fire brigade throughout the State, the Department is now set to publish ‘In Order 2008/22’ on Friday October 17th. This is a single issue In Order with the sole and express purpose of undermining minimum crewing levels and shutting up to 34 brigades throughout NSW. The Union will again make it absolutely clear that no pumper in the NSW is to leave its station unless a minimum of four members is available to respond from that brigade – this includes every retained brigade in NSW.

Fresh from a roasting in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission the Department has now started rolling out a series of new hair brained schemes aimed at pushing firefighters out into new roles, new responsibilities and new work. The latest of […]

On 25 November 2005, negotiations between the Union and Department led to agreement for the six old turntable ladder, HP and rescue monitor qualification and driving allowances to be replaced by two new “Major” and “Minor” aerial qualification allowances. It […]

Following settlement of the Union’s wage campaign the Department has now commenced paying the new 2008 Awards’ rates of pay and allowances on and from Friday 26 September, so the increased rates should first appear in all members’ pays today, […]

New Awards are now in force for both Permanent and Retained firefighters throughout NSW. Both new Awards have delivered increases of 4.6%, 4% and 4%, will run for three years, and have been awarded by the New South Wales Industrial […]

Recent comments in the national print media sledging firefighters for working more than the 40 hours required under the Award have been an unfortunate conclusion to a very bitter and acrimonious wage campaign. The comments – driven home on a […]

New three year Awards for permanent and retained firefighters were made by the Industrial Relations Commission this afternoon. While a separate notice discussing the result and ramifications of the new awards will be issued shortly, the absence of backpay to […]

The Government’s decision to disband the Ambulance Rescue Service and hand these rescue units over to the NSWFB has now been standing for over two weeks. In that time a number of very serious allegations have been publicly leveled against […]

The Union has consciously and deliberately stayed silent on progress in regard to our current wage dispute for very good reason – and here’s why. The Union’s officials have spent the last two weeks arguing the merits of our existing […]

Minister for Emergency Services Nathan Rees has recently been struggling to come to terms with what exactly his Government has in mind for the states professional fire service. The dilemma for Minister Rees arose after the Commissioner filed a document […]