Firefighters' Union Threatens Legal Action Against Own Members Over $644 Levy
The Victorian branch of the United Firefighters Union of Australia is threatening legal action against its own members for not paying a $644 levy to cover its hefty legal costs. The move has been described as "ridiculous" by some firefighters, who are already paying over $2,000 in annual union membership fees.
A dispute within the Victorian branch of the United Firefighters Union of Australia has led to threats of legal action against its own members who have not paid a $644 levy to cover the union's substantial legal costs.
The levy was imposed following a resolution made at union meetings last year, with the aim of covering legal bills that amounted to almost $2.3 million in the previous financial year. This fee is in addition to the annual union membership fees, which exceed $2,000 for senior firefighters.
Letters sent by the law firm Slater and Gordon to members who have not paid the levy warn of court proceedings if the matter is not resolved. The letters state that members may also be required to pay interest and costs if proceedings are commenced.
One senior firefighter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described the move as "ridiculous" and expressed concern about its impact on members' mental health and wellbeing. The firefighter also questioned the cost-effectiveness of using a legal firm to recover the debt.
Union secretary Peter Marshall said that every member who received a legal letter was contacted several times beforehand and that the decision to impose the levy was made unanimously by members over five union meetings.
"Most members expected the request and have already paid," he said. "No member received a legal letter out of the blue. Every one of them was contacted several times first."
Marshall also stated that members facing financial or other struggles can reach out to him for sensitive and confidential support.
The union's financial statements reveal that over the past six years, more than $10 million has been spent on legal fees. The current levy is primarily aimed at funding ongoing action against Fire Rescue Victoria in the Fair Work Commission over the firefighters' Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA).
The dispute over the EBA has been ongoing since 2021, with Fire Rescue Victoria making seven separate offers during that time. The union is also involved in several other legal actions.
Some firefighters have expressed frustration about the number of legal cases being pursued by the union, suggesting that better financial management and fewer legal challenges could have avoided the need for additional member contributions.
This is not the first time the union has charged extra fees to members to cover legal costs. Between 2014 and 2018, it charged members $500 annually to cover legal expenses related to a dispute with the Napthine Liberal government.