As the bushfire emergency drags on, with large parts of the country devastated, unions are demanding the government provide greater support for the firefighters, more assistance to the affected communities and to confront the climate change reality.
As Fire Brigade Employees Union (FBEU) NSW state secretary Leighton Drury told an emergency rally in Sydney last December 21: 鈥淔irefighters put out fires. Politicians put out policy and budgets. We are doing our job. They need to do a better job of theirs.鈥
He said the fires were the 鈥渨orst we鈥檝e had in decades鈥 and that governments had 鈥渇ailed鈥 to adequately fund services. 鈥淲e鈥檙e on the bones of our arse. There are now fewer professional firefighters than there were in 2011.
鈥淎lmost a decade of denial about the changes in the environment from this government has led to us being here today. Our state is in drought, our water is scarce, our firefighters are spread thin and volunteers are exhausted.
鈥淸The NSW Coalition] government has failed to invest adequately in fire services. Towns, regional centres, suburbs and areas of development have been left dangerously under resourced,鈥 Drury said.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) Sydney branch secretary Paul McAleer said on January 3 on behalf of the union鈥檚 national executive that communities have had to deal with 鈥渦nprecedented emergency situations鈥 as a 鈥渃atastrophic consequence of failed policies鈥 by successive governments.
鈥淭he climate is changing; it is generating negative impacts in an increasingly dramatic fashion, resulting in death and destruction. We have seen too many homes destroyed and too many lives lost as the continuation of failed policies persists.鈥
He said that while the union will continue to advocate for radical policies to address the climate crisis, his members and the communities they live in need assistance now.
鈥淭he MUA Sydney branch executive has been in contact with multiple government agencies, unions, companies in the maritime industry and politicians across the political spectrum to outline our willingness to assist in any way 鈥 to provide the support individuals or the community requires鈥, McAlear said.
The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) national construction division has also called on the building industry to step up and match the union鈥檚 $100,000 donation to the bushfire recovery effort as well as commit to helping rebuild communities devastated by the fires.
Unions have also called on the Coalition government to provide federal assistance for workers who have gone without income as a result of the bushfire crisis. This has particularly hurt casual workers.
United Workers Union executive director Helen Gibbons said the fires had 鈥渉it casual workers particularly hard鈥.聽鈥淭hese people don鈥檛 get paid if they are not at work but they still have to pay their bills and support their families,鈥 on January 8.
She said the bushfire crisis showed who the winners and losers were when employers demanded 鈥渇lexibility鈥. 鈥淚nsecure work puts workers in the position of carrying all the risk,鈥 she said.
Australian Council of Trade Unions assistant secretary Scott Connolly said on January 6: 鈥淎ustralian workers know the value of standing together, and this is more important than ever during this time of national crisis.
鈥淭he ACTU is calling on all union members to reach out to the tens of thousands of their fellow Australian affected by this crisis at their time of need.
鈥淣o worker should ever be required to work in dangerous environments. Smoke levels are well beyond the hazardous range in huge areas of the country. Any workers, especially those work outside, who have concerns about their safety should contact their union,鈥 Connolly concluded.