VOLUNTEER Fire Brigades Victoria has dropped its Supreme Court action against a new Country Fire Authority Workplace agreement.
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Volunteer brigades District 16 councillor Mick Nunweek said that there was no need to continue legal action after federal legislation was passed to protect volunteers’ interests.
“Our resources were extremely well spent. We achieved all that we desired,” Mr Nunweek said.,
“We’d take the same action again.”
The volunteer firefighter group filed the legal action to stop progress on a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement sought by the United Firefighters Union and the State Government.
The group spent $600,000 on the legal battle.
The volunteer group claimed the union was seeking management veto powers over the Country Fire Authority, which would lead to discrimination and less access to vehicle and equipment upgrades.
Mr Nunweek said he was very confident the interests of volunteers would be taken care of by the Fair Work Commission hearings now that there were new legal limits.
“We were advised by our senior barrister that there was no need to continue,” he said.
“I don’t think many people realised how powerful the Fair Work amendment legislation was.
“The commission now can’t approve a deal that undermines volunteers, and we couldn’t attend commission hearings before but now we can.”
Emergency Services Minister James Merlino said the agreement would end a years-long standoff between the union and the state government and would protect the role of volunteers.
Mr Merlino called for the volunteer group and the Coalition to stop treating the workplace agreement as a political football.
“It’s disappointing that the VFBV leadership sought to drag out this dispute and create division in our fire service instead of focussing on what really matters - community safety and the welfare of our firefighters,” he said.
“Our emergency services are fully focused on the upcoming fire season and keeping Victorians safe.”