The simple sweep of a legislative pen seems unlikely to solve a long-running CFA/ UFU dispute. If anything, the passing of the federal legislation aimed ostensibly at protecting the rights of volunteer organisations is likely to immerse the dispute in yet more legal conflict and obfuscation. Little appears to have progressed. Rather it has converted the conflict into a higher level political stoush between state and federal jurisdictions now likely to be played out in the High Court.
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For the volunteers who probably ultimately just wanted to be left alone it can hardly be good news when this gamesmanship simply provokes another round of inflammatory rhetoric. For the professional fire-fighters who we assume have safe procedure at heart, this is simply more tension to add to often strained relationships.
The federal employment minister has said volunteers were concerned the existing agreement required the CFA to consult with the United Fire-fighters Union before it could "do anything" but these changes to the Fair Work Act meant the CFA leadership would have to renegotiate the enterprise agreement and scrap any terms restricting the organisation to manage volunteers. Victorian industrial relations minister Natalie Hutchins hit back saying the amendment has holes "you could drive a truck through….. that's only going to further complicate the situation in trying to get this EBA through the Fair Work Commission."
One key element in the long-running power struggle; the goodwill of volunteers must be drifting close to exhaustion. The other fundamental issue; public safety, despite the rhetoric of politicians seems no closer to a resolution. The long-winded cultural union skirmish aside, the misinformation about “seven on the ground” has been ongoing and despite the political posturing has neither been properly delineated nor substantiated.
Even if it only affects 34 of the nearly 1200 CFA stations across Victoria and one of these is in Ballarat, it is worth noting “despatched” is not “on scene” because in all of this public safety must be the ultimate agreed objective. In short, a resolution matters because the cooperation of the services matter. And it is at its most critical in big fires particularly the early stages of bushfires.
While the season may have been delayed by heavy rains; already we know when the growth dries up the heat will be on these services and a workable resolution even more urgent.
