Firefighters fight for a fair deal
By James Vassilopoulos
CANBERRA — On May 24, members of the United Firefighters Union of Australia (UFUA) were in Civic Mall asking shoppers to sign petitions in support of their stand in an enterprise bargaining campaign.
Delegates and members stood beside card tables talking to other workers, students and the unemployed. Their fire trucks were adorned with banners reading: "Support your firefighters, the next life saved could be yours".
The petition stated: "Reject any requirement to trade safety or service cuts for pay rises. Note the unfairness of an arbitrated 16% pay rise for the Chief Minister based on interstate comparisons and a zero offer to firefighters."
Another leaflet explains the services firefighters provide. These include urban and bush fire suppression, road accident rescue, fire prevention and fire safety advice.
Russell Shephard, ACT branch secretary of the UFUA, told Green Left Weekly that firefighters have bans in place and limitations on paper work. According to Shephard, ACT firefighters are already among the lowest paid in the country. They receive $124 a fortnight less than their South Australian counterparts. The government is also trying to abolish overtime payments and reduce the number of days of paid sick leave and annual leave.