Firefighters Seeking Equal Pay

Media release – Leigh Hills, Branch Secretary, United Firefighters Union of Australia Tasmania Branch, 21 February 2025

Firefighter Negotiations Commence with Equal Pay Demand

“Negotiations for the Firefighting Industrial Agreement are set to commence on Wednesday 26 February 2025.

“Members have voted to endorse the Log of Claims, which contains proposed changes to pay and conditions.

“Trade qualified firefighters are paid less than other trade qualified state government employees. Firefighter compensation for undertaking shift and weekend work is approximately half that of other state government employees.

“Why is it that a firefighter’s weekend is valued at a lower percentage than the weekend of a police officer, nurse, correctional officer or a radio dispatch operator?

“Firefighters’ will ask government negotiators to fix these issues.

“In previous negotiations, the government has insisted on including a clause that prevents firefighters from seeking to vary the Award without agreement from the government.

“There is an independent umpire who is able to settle these kinds of disputes, but the government routinely undermines the industrial relations system established by parliament by seeking to stifle the ability of firefighters to put forward their case and seek a ruling from the Tasmanian Industrial Commission.

“We hope that the government is prepared to approach negotiations with a more open mind than has been the case in previous negotiations. There is no need for the government to force state government employees to take disruptive industrial action to win pay increases that didn’t even keep up with the cost of living.

“Industrial action is the last resort for members when government representatives are being unreasonable. Whilst firefighters would prefer not to take industrial action, members have indicated a willingness to take significant action if the government does not take these negotiations seriously.