Firefighter deal: MFB chief warns state government over ‘unworkable’ agreement

Metropolitan Fire Brigade boss Peter Rau has written a stern warning letter to the new Emergency Services Minister about the MFB’s controversial union deal.

Mr Rau wrote to James Merlino in June to raise the “unworkable conditions” of the MFB’s deal with the United Firefighters Association (UFU).

In the letter today obtained by the Herald Sun, Mr Rau told Mr Merlino the current agreement “seriously impedes the delivery of effective fire prevention in Victoria”.

Mr Rau said the proposal would “exacerbate the failings” of the current MFB agreement, which he described as “very troubling.”

Under the revised industrial agreement, the UFU would have a “power veto” over MFB and the Country Fire Authority (CFA), he said.

Mr Rau warned Mr Merlino the merger would create “greater concerns” for the MFB.

He also listed the current issues troubling the MFB as an apparent result of the UFU.

In one example, Mr Rau described how the tensions between the MFB and UFU came to a head during a “week long heatwave” last year.

“The MFB was unable to deploy new advanced appliances because the UFU refused to agree to their deployment,” he wrote.

The publication of Mr Rau’s letter follows a feud between the UFU and the CFA.

The UFU has been in negotiations with the Victorian government for three years regarding working conditions.

The proposal has caused tensions between paid and volunteer firefighters, leading to protests and rallies in the past months.