NSW: Firefighters step up industrial campaign

AAP General News (Australia)
04-01-2000
NSW: Firefighters step up industrial campaign

SYDNEY, April 1 AAP - New South Wales firefighters today stepped up their industrial
campaign over failed award negotiations, and warned of possible long-term strikes.

The firefighters' union today put in place administrative work bans after claiming
the brigade had delayed award negotiations for the past seven months.

The New South Wales Fire Brigades Union president Darryl Snow said the administration
bans by 3,200 firefighters began at 8am, and would continue indefinitely.

He said a stop-work meeting planned for Thursday would consider strike action over
the negotiation delays.

Firefighters from Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong would walk off the job for two hours,
leaving the cities with no emergency response crews.

Mr Snow said it was hoped it wouldn't come down to prolonged strike action, but the
option of lengthy actions would be on the table.

"We'd prefer to have this resolved without action," he said.

"But there's a strong possibility of strikes, we'll see what happens, it (the strikes)
may well end up being for a day or all week."

But NSW Fire Brigades media manager John Hoban said it was hoped the matter would be
resolved without industrial action.

"It's before the Industrial Relations Commission for mediation on Monday and we hope
that would be successful in staving off any planned industrial action for later this week,"

Mr Hoban said.

"We would hope the parties can successfully mediate the areas under discussion ...

without the need to resort to industrial action."

Mr Hoban said there had been broad agreement regarding the large-scale issues of the
consent award between the Brigades and firefighters.

The firefighters have been offered a 16 per cent pay increase over four and a half
years which they say is acceptable.

However award negotiations have failed to reach an agreement on superannuation and
death and disability payments.

The firefighters' award expired last August and was due to be negotiated by February 24.

By consent with the union, the deadline was extended until yesterday, but no agreement
was reached.

AAP jo/ej

KEYWORD: FIREFIGHTERS (CARRIED EARLIER)

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