AUXILIARY UPDATE : 31 august 2020

1.75% WAGE RISE FOR AUXILIARY FIREFIGHTERS FROM 1 SEPTEMBER 2020

You will recall that your award provides for wage rises each year in line with the Queensland QIRC State Wage Case Decision.

On 26 August 2020 the QIRC handed down it’s 2020 Decision, and that Decision includes a 1.75% wage rise to award wages (see clause 12 of your award for your minimum hourly rate which will be adjusted).

There will also be a 1.75% adjustment to the Captains, On-Call, and Retention allowances (see clauses 15.1, 15.2 and 15.4 of your award for the allowances that will be adjusted).

The Decision follows submissions on your behalf by your union through the Queensland Council of Unions, who present the formal position of all unions to the QIRC.  Your union supported the application for a 1.75% wage rise as it both mirrors the recent federal Fair Work minimum wage rise, and it is also a modest increase and a balanced outcome when considering the impact to the Queensland economy from COVID-19.

The QIRC Registry will publish an updated award on their website soon after 1 September 2020, and that updated award will include all the new dollar amounts reflecting the 2020 Decision.

It may take those in One QFES and Queensland Shared Services a while to sort out that they owe you this money, so I will update you once I receive confirmation from QFRS of the pay cycle within which your wage and entitlements adjustments will be made, and I will also provide a link to the updated award in that update.

REVIEWS OF AUXILIARY STANDING ORDER AND ARTEP UNDERWAY

Your union has commenced discussions with QFRS about both updating the poorly constructed Standing Order and looking to assess the capacity to streamline ARTEP process across the state.

The Standing Order needs significant work to bring it into line and make it a document you can rely on to provide relevant information, and the ARTEP review will have many possible outcomes, one of which is making it easier and quicker for recruit AFF’s to get onto trucks as operational auxiliaries.  Your union and QFRS both want these processes improved, but we appear to have different opinions about speed versus quality training outcomes. Your union wants to ensure that AFF”s are as proficient as they can be at their duties, QFRS appear to just want you in the trucks quicker.

I will keep you updated on both the Standing Order and ARTEP work as it continues over the next few months. 

John Oliver - General Secretary