Firies say public sector reforms threaten safety
BY NADINE MORTON
25 Feb, 2012 04:00 AM
SAFETY for firefighters and the public will be impacted should proposed public sector management reforms be adopted by the state government.
Reforms will remove mandated minimum staffing levels on fire trucks and change crew levels into a “managerial prerogative”.
Other changes may lead to sick firefighters not being replaced for their shift and injured firefighters let go rather than being given “light duties”, according to the Fire Brigade Employees Union (FBEU).
FBEU country sub-branch secretary Tim Anderson said safety was priority and the interim NSW Commission of Audit report released on Wednesday undermined safety protocols for firefighters.
“I think you’ll find that their goal is if someone’s sick you don’t replace them and that’s dangerous, very dangerous,” he said.
Mr Anderson said sending a fire truck out on a call with less than the current minimum of four firefighters was dangerous for everyone involved.
“We’re going to start seeing people injured and members of the public being injured,” he said.
Mr Anderson said having a reduced number of firefighters would have a “direct correlation to the safety of the community”.
Mr Anderson said it would be a “cost-saving measure” by the state government if they adopted the recommendations.
Until now firefighters injured on the job were given “light duties”, however the report recommends dismissing these people rather than find them suitable work.
“It is very concerning given that the fire brigade used to do their best to find meaningful work for injured firefighters,” he said.
Employee unions are also being “squeezed” out for public sector workers, according to Mr Anderson.
“We see the union as an integral part of managing a workforce ... they’re now saying unions don’t have a say in management prerogative,” he said.
FBEU secretary Jim Casey agreed and said under the proposal fines for defying Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) orders have increased by 1000 per cent.
Mr Casey said in some instances it was necessary to defy IRC orders in order to fight for the rights of workers such as in October 2011 when they fought for the rights of firefighters injured on the job through industrial action.
He said fines to the union for doing this have now increased from $10,000 per day to $110,000 per day for the first day and $220,000 for any subsequent days of industrial action.
“It is simply unsustainable in the long term,” he said.
The report is before the NSW state government for consideration until April.
nadine.morton@ruralpress .com
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