Monday's revelations of widespread bullying, harassment and even sexual assault in the Country Fire Authority shows they have a long way to run.

Victorians have now learnt some shocking truths about the CFA, a much-loved institution with deep rural community roots and volunteer ethos but which has been harbouring dirty little secrets.

The strong accusations of harassment and sexual assault of women in the CFA will heap pressure on the Andrews government, which likes to think of itself as a champion of women, to do something.

The exposure of outrageous treatment of CFA workers, particularly female staff and volunteers, follows reports of former Metropolitan Fire Brigade staff taking legal action against the brigade, alleging years of harassment and serious intimidation, including a bullet in the post.

The two stories have a striking similarity; allegations of standover tactics by some members of the United Firefighters Union against CFA and MFB personnel who are prepared to speak out against mistreatment.

The union has been a central player in the fire services' controversies and will not willingly relinquish any of the vast power it wields over the two firefighting agencies.

The United Firefighters Union is battling a long and costly court battle to keep secret the content of a review by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission into sexism and bullying in the state's fire services.

But the past few days have shown the union is wasting its time and its members' money.

Even if the union and its barristers succeed in keeping the commission's report from public view, the truth will eventually leak out somehow.

For Daniel Andrews, this issue has already cost his government much political skin and it is far from over.

The row last year over a controversial new workplace deal for the CFA resulted in a damaging falling-out between the Premier and one of his most popular ministers, Jane Garrett, and the sacking of the authority's board, and it gave the opposition a badly needed rallying point.

It was easily the most serious political crisis Andrews has faced during his time in office and even now, his government still cannot get its fire services reform bill through Parliament.

Only time will tell what impact all of this will have at the ballot box in November 2018.

One thing is certain though, without firm and decisive action, the culture at the MFB and the CFA will continue to throw up serious problems for Andrews and his government.

It is a strange position for a Premier who has worked hard to position himself as strong on respect for women, to have no interest in standing up to a union that appears to have none.

Nothing will change while the government remains unwilling or unable to challenge the power of the United Firefighters Union.

But experience tells us that is unlikely.