Hundreds of firefighters to keep work ban for #NSWfireStrike @NSWFIREMEDIA

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Darin Sullivan in Main

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HUNDREDS of NSW firefighters have vowed to continue a work ban until the state government honours an existing agreement, the firefighters union says.

The Fire Brigade Employees Union (FBEU) today put a ban on firefighters relieving crews at other stations, starting at 8am (AEDT).

The action is costing the government an estimated $80,000 a day in overtime, FBEU state secretary Jim Casey told AAP.

Mr Casey said the ban started after an agreement that was reached between the union and Fire and Rescue NSW a year ago was not respected.

The agreement allows injured firefighters to undertake light activities, such as driving logistic support vehicles.

“It now seems like they (Fire and Rescue NSW) want to sub-contract all that out,” Mr Casey said.

Both parties met at the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) at noon on Thursday, where vice-president Justice Michael J. Walton recommended the union lift its ban.

But Mr Casey said union members were going to stick to the ban.

“Regardless of what the IRC says, we are leaving the bans in place until our agreement is accepted,” Mr Casey told AAP.

“We will happily lift our bans the moment the department respects the agreement that was made 12 months ago.”

He said the strike action will have no impact on the service as long as the department continues to recall firefighters to duty.

Both parties will go before the IRC again at 10am (AEDT) on Friday in Newcastle.

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell said the union was “fooling themselves” if they thought the action, which comes just days after a Sydney-wide bus strike, would “stop the government pursuing its goals”.

“We need unions to understand that we have to get on with providing services across NSW,” Mr O’Farrell told reporters in Sydney.

“If this is being done in any way to stop the government pursuing its goals they’re fooling themselves.”

Comment has been sought from Fire and Rescue NSW.