DOZENS of CFA volunteers from the south-west took part in a mass rally at state parliament on Saturday to urge the state government not to reduce the role of CFA volunteers.
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They were part of a motorcade of about 400 CFA brigade owned vehicles carrying more than 1200 volunteers that congested traffic near state parliament for nearly two hours on Saturday.
The volunteers were supported by several country MPs including Member for South West Roma Britnell, Member for Polwarth Richard Riordan and upper house Member for Western Victoria Simon Ramsay.
Among those at the rally was Warrnambool brigade volunteer Second Lieutenant Brendan O’Neill who said the volunteers placed flowers at parliament house for emergency services minister Jane Garrett.
The flowers were to show the volunteers’ support for Ms Garrett’s opposition to an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) lodged by the career firefighters’s union, the United Firefighters Union (UFU), which the volunteers fear will give them a lesser role.
The volunteers fear that while Ms Garrett opposes the EBA, Premier Daniel Andrews might sideline her and concede to the UFU’s demands.
Mr O’Neill said he was concerned a UFU claim to be able to veto decisions by CFA management would leave volunteers without an effective voice in the organisation.
Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell said the UFU’s call to be able to veto CFA management decisions showed it was seeking more “control” of the CFA.
