Forest firefighters, represented by the Australian Workers Union (AWU), will march on the Victorian Parliament today to demand fair pay as the state confronts a looming bushfire season with a significantly depleted emergency response fleet.
The union members and their supporters are scheduled to gather at Victoria Trades Hall at 11.30am before proceeding to Parliament House.
The protest highlights the stalled pay negotiations with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).
AWU Victorian branch president Ross Kenna stated that firefighters have been more than reasonable, but the department’s “stalling tactics” have forced their hand.
“Make no mistake – these are the workers who stand between Victorian communities and catastrophic bushfire,” Mr Kenna said.
“They’re highly trained, highly skilled, and they put their lives on the line. Yet they’re being treated like they’re disposable.”
The situation is exacerbated by major operational challenges facing Forest Fire Management Victoria.
A total of 290 G-Wagons and 59 Unimogs have been taken offline due to chassis and subframe faults just weeks before the fire season is expected to begin. AWU Victorian secretary Ronnie Hayden called the timing of the vehicle crisis “unconscionable” in light of the pay dispute.
“Broken promises, broken vehicles, and workers left to carry the burden,” he remarked, emphasising that while Premier Jacinta Allan recently thanked firefighters, “words are cheap, but the cost of living is not.”
The government’s handling of the vehicle shortage has also drawn criticism.
In State Parliament, Nationals MP for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, questioned Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos about the out-of-service G-Wagons.
Mr Bull pointed out that the supposed replacements, CFA tankers and slip-on units, are already part of the existing local fleet and do not compensate for the “massive reduction in firefighting vehicles across the region.”
In response, the city-based Labor Minister accused locals of “scaremongering.”
Mr Bull found the dismissal of his question disappointing, stating, “Here is a Minister, who I’m not even sure has ever seen a bushfire, telling us we’re scaremongering when, in fact, it’s a very reasonable and sensible question the community wants answered.” He also criticised the government for allowing fuel loads to reach dangerously high levels, noting that burn targets recommended by the Bushfire Royal Commission have not been met.
Despite the ongoing dispute, the AWU has assured that its members will continue to protect Victorian communities.
“Our members are professionals. They’ll keep doing what they’ve always done, protecting this state from fire,” Mr Kenna said.
“But let’s be crystal clear: commitment to the job doesn’t mean accepting exploitation. Fair pay isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a matter of respect, and it’s long overdue.”
