CODE 2, VOL 30, NO 8 : 01 march 2016

UFUQ oppose new requirement for members to disclose all other employment to QFES

On Tuesday 1 March 2016 your union wrote to QFES stating our objection to the newly proposed requirement that members declare all secondary employment to QFES.

I have asked for a response to that and other matters we have identified that are contained within the new Secondary Employment Policy, currently being developed by QFES.

The idea to impose a mandatory requirement is a shift away from disclosing employment that has a perceived and/or actual conflict of interest, and is based on QFES stating that declaration of secondary employment will ‘better maintain professionalism’.

I have written to QFES asking them to set out how they believe the mandatory requirement for our members to declare any and all secondary employment will ‘better maintain professionalism’.

I have also asked for clarification of to whom this requirement will apply.  Within the membership of UFUQ there are full-time firefighters, part-time and soon casual firefighters (who are at the rank of 1st class firefighter and above), auxiliary firefighters, full-time communication officers and part-time and casual communication officers.

Your union considers it to be unnecessary for any UFUQ member to have to identify any and all secondary employment, but it is even more questionable when those employed under employment categories specifically designed to provide flexible opportunities then have a mandatory requirement to tell QFES what else they do in their own time!

When your union is provided with a response from QFES as to how they believe declaring all secondary employment will ‘better maintain professionalism’, I will report that to you.

John Oliver - State Secretary