
Issue No 24		30 July 1999

Unions

Turning Up The Heat: Bush Fire Officers Seek Award Justice

By Mark Hearn

"We want an award for the job that we do, not the job other people want us to do". Donald Bushby, and his fellow Fire Control Officers, know what they want. It's simple: an award for FCO's and deputy FCO's, an award that recognises who they are, the job they do, the pressures they have to live with.


	"Who would do their job, if it wasn't out of commitment and loyalty?" MEU Secretary Brian Harris (right) with Fire Control Officers Donald Bushby and Angelo Baldo

Recognition of their role in protecting lives and property from the bush fire threat, and other emergencies. Recognition of managerial responsibilities, long hours, disrupted holidays, interrupted weekends. Driving around in a 4WD with the work radio network on - all the time, and the kids complaining. On-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A high level of commitment to a job vital to community safety.

Currently, the state's 220 FCO's are covered by the Local Government Award, which, as Brian Harris, the General Secretary of the Municipal Employees Union says, "just doesn't recognise their special needs". FCO's work for their relevant local council or shire. But when the heat's on, so to speak, in a major bush fire, the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), under the command of Commissioner Phil Koperberg, steps in. FCO's are answerable to him while single-handedly, they run the local situation, managing an army of as many as 400 bush fire volunteers, dispatching a fleet of fire trucks to the hot spots.

This command confusion - between the local councils and the RFS - leaves the FCO's in limbo. As FCO Angelo Baldo complains, "we've got two bosses". One is more than enough. While up to 80% of their wages are paid by the RFS, they are technically local council or shire employees. Each individual council or shire can construct the FCO's pay rates and authority structures as it sees fit.

This results in FCO pay rates that fluctuate from $23,000 to $60,000 pa, depending on which council or shire they work for. Under the Rural Fires Act of 1997, the FCO's are supposed to be directly responsible to the General Manager. In fact, the GM's can delegate this responsibility. As Angelo observes, "some FCO's report to the dog catcher".

Yet FCO's manage annual budgets of $600,000, organise the training of hundreds of bush fire volunteers, and plan hazard reduction programs. Each Council only employs one or perhaps two FCO's. They cannot take leave between October and March - the bush fire season, which may be extended, depending on weather conditions.

And then there's the pressure. If things go wrong during a bush fire, everyone expects the FCO to provide an answer. "We're the ones who have to front up to the coroner's court", Donald says. Everyone remembers the horror of bush fire volunteers caught in a truck, unable to escape a wave of roaring flame. No-one likes to talk about it. But someone has to explain what happened, and why.

After the ferocious 1994 bush fires around Sydney, the NSW Coroner's Court recommended that the industrial framework governing FCO's be reorganised to clarify their chain of command, and recognise their special situation. Nothing's happened since, despite the NSW Cabinet issuing a directive in support of the Coroner's recommendation.

There are some powerful obstacles in the way of the FCO's need for a new award. Local councils that want to keep their hands on the reigns of power. Bureaucratic rivalries between local government and the RFS. Employers who just don't want the fuss of new awards, new complications.

The MEU believes its time to get serious. Brian Harris emphasises that "it's very important to resolve this. It's time for Local Government Minister Harry Woods to tap some shoulders about that cabinet directive. It's irresponsible to approach another bush fire season with this issue unresolved."

The MEU has a draft award ready. Organiser Sonja Terpstra says the new award for FCO's will, for the first time, provide clear pay structures for FCO's and deputy FCO's, and clarify the chain of command. The award will include new training modules, and a range of entitlements - bush fire incident pay, parental leave, relocation and rent assistance. It's all some recognition, she says, for the enormous dedication of FCO's to the communities they serve. "Who would do their job, if it wasn't out of commitment and loyalty?"

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Issue 24 contents

Interview: The Man in the Hot Seat
WorkCover general manger John Grayson cut his teeth in the trade union movement. Now he�s trying to save the state�s workers compensation scheme.

Unions: Turning Up The Heat: Bush Fire Officers Seek Award Justice
"We want an award for the job that we do, not the job other people want us to do". Donald Bushby, and his fellow Fire Control Officers, know what they want. It's simple: an award for FCO's and deputy FCO's, an award that recognises who they are, the job they do, the pressures they have to live with.

International: The Virtual Labour Congress
International trade unions are launching an online debate on Labour in the 21th century.

Legal: The Source of the Issue
Recent legal developments place the spotlight on the outsourcing of government activities.

Review: The Split that Changed a Nation
A new book looks at the Cold War ALP split that redefined politics in this country.

Labour Review: What's New at the Information Centre
Read the latest issue of Labour Review, Labor Council's resource for unionists.

Satire: Man Takes Home Pay - More Pokies Needed
The NSW government has expressed concern following the release of a second report by the Productivity Commission which shows that a majority of employed people still spend their pay on luxury items such as food and clothing for their family.

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