Vic: Firefighters union slams commission evidence

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2009
Vic: Firefighters union slams commission evidence

By Edwina Scott

MELBOURNE, Dec 4 AAP - The firefighters' union has described as a "massive slur" evidence
to the bushfires royal commission that 46 city firefighters took sickies on Black Saturday.

Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) chief fire officer Tony Murphy on Thursday told the
commission that 46 city firefighters were "absent on unplanned leave" on February 7.

Mr Murphy revised that figure on Friday morning, admitting only five people had called
in sick without a medical certificate.

Asked on radio if he had 46 people on unplanned leave, he replied, "No".

"There were five people from the 46 that were without a certificate," Mr Murphy said.

"You know, this is a very, very complex issue."

United Firefighters Union (UFU) national secretary Peter Marshall said the firefighters
and the MFB were owed an apology by the chief officer, after calling for a vote of no
confidence among members.

"That was not unplanned leave," he told reporters on Friday.

"People were on WorkCover, on promotional courses, on military leave, leave that Mr
Murphy would have approved.

"The figures were doctored... to give a perception that there was a large-scale absence
on the day, and there was not."

An emotional Mr Marshall said the false figures were provided to deflect examination
of wasted MFB resources on February 7 and in the aftermath of the devastating fires that
killed 173 people.

In particular, he said the public deserved to know about an MFB strike team of 22 firefighters
kept waiting at Whittlesea for five hours on February 9 before deployment to a large fire
at Healesville.

The UFU has requested an urgent hearing at the commission on Monday to correct the record.

"The damage that was done yesterday was not only unwarranted, but it was very hurtful,"

Mr Marshall said.

"We say it's not good enough to simply run a red herring about some ill-conceived,
factually wrong issue on absenteeism ..."

"We want the real issues examined during this royal commission."

Comment is being sought from Mr Murphy.

AAP ees/pmu/jl

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES UNION

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.