New South Wales Fire Brigade Employees’ Union (FBEU)
1 – 7 Belmore Street Surry Hills NSW 2010
Telephone 02 9218 3444 Facsimile 02 9218 3488 E-mail office@fbeu.net Website www.fbeu.net
MEDIA ALERT
Wednesday 27 July 2011
Firefighters protest against IR attack
Firefighters will join protests at Port Macquarie and Kempsey tomorrow against the NSW Government’s new industrial relations laws that attack the rights of emergency services personnel and force wage rises below increases to the cost of living.
Members of the Fire Brigade Employees’ Union, in full uniform, will be taking part in a series of protests around NSW in the coming weeks as part of the broad community campaign to fight Premier Barry O’Farrell’s anti-worker IR laws that were pushed through parliament last month.
“Every day of the week firefighters put their lives on the line to protect the community, yet like 400,000 other public servants the NSW Government has repaid that loyalty with laws that threaten their wages and condition,” FBEU State Secretary Jim Casey said.
“Current award conditions covering training, safety, wages or conditions can now be struck out at the stroke of a Ministerial pen, with firefighters forced to agree to reduced staffing numbers or conditions if they want pay rises that match the cost of living increases.
"The O'Farrell Government is offering firefighters a choice between seeing our wages go backwards, or selling off jobs to fund pay rises. We won't see our wages go backwards, but having less firefighters on the road puts the community, and those firefighters who are responding, at greater risk.
“It's an impossible choice to ask us to make, and we're not willing to accept it.
“Firefighters have a simple message for the O’Farrell Government: We deserve the same rights at work as any other Australian and we are committed to fighting these draconian changes tooth and nail.”
Rally details: Thursday 28 July
Port Macquarie: 8am, Macquarie Park, next to netball courts Grant Street, Port Macquarie
Kempsey: 12:30pm, park next to swimming pool, cnr Belgrave Street and Memorial Avenue, Kempsey
Further comment: Jim Casey 0419 267 555 Darin Sullivan 0422 436 044
DARIN SULLIVAN
President
FIRE BRIGADE EMPLOYEES' UNION
1-7 Belmore St | Surry Hills | NSW 2010
p. 02 9218 3444 | f. 02 9218 3488 | m. 0422436044
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