The September 2020 State Council meeting was once again a very busy one with a range of important matters addressed.

The following MFS advice to all staff was received overnight and is now reproduced here and forwarded on.

It is certainly true to say that our ensemble of PPE has grown over recent times (I’m sure members’ wet weather gear is not far away either…) increasing the protection and safety of members.

The South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service Enterprise Agreement 2017’s (EA) new clause 31 introduced Senior Firefighter, Level II Qualified at a pay point halfway between Senior Firefighter level I and Station Officer level I (approximately $6000 per annum).

Much of our EA negotiations have focused on the need for better resourcing of firefighters. As previously reported the employer has responded by disingenuously asserting that not only is the MFS adequately resourced, the budget is also overspent.

Our fellow firefighters in the UFU Aviation Branch at Adelaide Airport are again fighting for their jobs as the billion-dollar Commonwealth-funded Air Services cynically tries to use the Covid-19 to cut costs.

Nominations are sought from UFU Members to fill the positions of Work Health and Safety Representative/Shop Steward and Deputy Work Health and Safety Representative/Shop Steward at full time SAMFS worksites where there is currently no formally elected HSR / Shop Steward.

The Report of the Independent Review into the SA 2019-20 Bushfire Season conducted by Mr Mick Keelty (“the Keelty Review”) was released on 12 July 2020.

Before the commencement of the current EA negotiations, our Union surveyed all members and asked you to rank areas of concern to you in your employment with the SAMFS.

Members who have completed 15 or more years of effective service with the SAMFS accrue skills and experience based Retention Leave (more simply known as retention leave).

Tomorrow, Thursday 25 June 2020, is First Responders Day!

In February 2020 the Chief Executive of the SA Fire & Emergency Commission (SAFECOM), Dominic Lane, published his 47 page Analysis of SA’s Fire & Emergency Services.

Members may have heard interviews on Friday with the SA Treasurer Rob Lucas revealing that he is increasing the Emergency Services Levy. In his justification for his reversal of an election promise in these difficult times, Mr Lucas singled out a pay increase to MFS firefighters as one “reason” for the hike in the ESL.

The UFU is currently being consulted about leave provisions under the COVID-19 pandemic arrangements, which have been authorised by the Premier for public sector employees in SA, to assist families experiencing hardship.

It’s fantastic to be able to report that all the hard work of the UFU/MFS MDC Organising Committee resulted in an overwhelming turnout in the MDC 2020 event.

Thank you to everyone involved in the virtual MDC for helping to make it such a great success last Sunday despite all the challenges in 2020. From the photos received so far, it looks like everyone had a great day while supporting an important cause.

Members have advised us that despite this Direction, MFS procedures for responding to an alarm continue to require information of vaccination status.

The Mother’s Day Classic virtual event is live!  Please join us and defy the gloom by making this MDC really special. All current registrations have received automatic access to the virtual platform.All new registrations are very welcome and are at a discounted entry fee ($25)

While we strongly encourage members to participate in the vaccination program currently underway within the MFS, and we are heartened by the high participation rates in 2020, not everyone is able to be or chooses to be vaccinated.

It is heartening that scientific modelling produced by the federal government has revealed the dramatic reduction in coronavirus transmission rates caused by Australia’s strict control measures.

It’s an understatement to say that the impact on our lives of the COVID–19 virus is immense, while at the same time, we are all conscious that we may not yet have seen the worst of it.