Fair Work Australia (FWA) this week ruled in favour of unions representing employees of the state-owned Endeavour Energy company, who argued that oral swabs should be used instead of urine tests to detect drugs, Fairfax reported on Thursday.

The NSW Fire Brigade Employees’ Union (FBEU) says the decision should serve as a wake up call for management at Fire and Rescue NSW and has called on them to abandon their “stubborn insistence on urine tests”.

“Urine tests are woefully inadequate at picking up the point of impairment,” FBEU state secretary Jim Casey said in a statement on Thursday.

“They serve no benefit in terms of workplace safety but allow management to snoop on the private lives of firefighters.”

Mr Casey said the union was willing to discuss what drug and alcohol testing options were available, but said tests must not impose on personal liberties and instead focus on rehabilitation.

“Until we have those assurances from Fire Brigade management, the FBEU will continue to resist mandatory urine tests at stations across the state,”