| Know Your Rights and Dont' Get Burnt |
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FIRST ATTACK Information for CPSU members employed in DSE, DPI, Parks Vic, & VicForests.PRESCRIBED BURNSKnow Your Rights & Don’t Get Burnt Following a long and arduous wildfire season it seems that in the blink of an eye CPSU members are now rolling up their sleeves and getting on with the job of prescribed burning. CPSU has received many calls from across the state from members seeking to clarify their entitlements while undertaking prescribed burning operations. It would seem that doubts are being generated within some DSE regions that are conducting staff meetings and mistakenly and inappropriately comparing AWU emergency work conditions and VPS/PV/VF emergency work provisions in the context of prescribed burning operations. Click on the following link to view the DSE document. The relevant part of this document is the final small row titled Prescribed Burns. Please note that some of the information in this document relating to VPS&PV conditions (eg. stand by rates) is incomplete and does not accurately explain the entitlement. http://www.cpsuvic.org/public_docs/FIRE-2703-ENTITLEMENT-COMPARISONS.pdf This can be confusing and at times misleading. So for the purposes of addressing CPSU members concerns the union has identified the following matters. It is our understanding that the AWU has agreed that for the purposes of prescribed burning the AWU emergency work provisions will apply. For members of that union many allowances and conditions have been replaced with an “all up allowance”. Allowances such as fire line, missed meals, paid rest and camping allowances no longer apply to these staff for burning operations. For DSE, DPI, VF and PV staff and CPSU members your Emergency provisions and those conditions DO NOT APPLY when undertaking prescribed burning. Prescribed burning operations are considered to be core duties and therefore your core pay and conditions apply. It is mistaken & misleading not to mention unfair to allow staff to believe that emergency provisions apply as there are some significant differences in our conditions of work. One critical and fundamental condition of employment for CPSU members is the matter of “core hours of work”. This clause defines when you can be at work for a single rate of pay. In the Emergency provisions “core hours” are not defined. This is how you can be instructed to start work at any time of the day or night. You could be instructed to start at 10pm and be on a single rate of pay. This may be appropriate in an Emergency. But certainly not for normal duties. CPSU believes that you should not be undertaking burning operations at all times of the day or night without additional payment or compensation. By working to your core conditions of employment while prescribed burning you are entitled to many allowances and additional conditions of employment. For example: Your daily hours of work are any 7hrs and 36 minutes between 7am and 7pm. Monday to Friday. Flexibility within these times must be by agreement. Any work outside of these hours incurs some type of compensation such as overtime or shift allowances. Shift allowances range from 15% for week days to 150% for public holidays. Naturally any burning operations performed on weekend and public holidays are subject to standard overtime provisions. Other allowances are also applicable for your core duties. Camping allowances apply across the board. Prescribed burning allowances apply. (meal allowances apply for PV members.). You are also entitled to have a 10 hour rest break between work days. Anything shorter incurs further penalties Importantly as Burning is part of your core duties you are to be employed at your usual place of work and any time spent travelling to and from a burn is to be calculated as part of your 7.6 hour working day. In summary, prescribed burning operations are your core duties. Emergency provisions DO NOT apply. Any work that you perform beyond 7.6 hours per day (including travel) is subject to compensation. Know your Rights this burning season.If you have any questions please contact the CPSU on 1800 810 153 toll free.FREE ‘first attack fire fighter’ T’s. The popularity of CPSU's “professional first attack fire fighter” T’s this summer as with previous summers has seen the union organise a further release of this year’s new shirt. The re-designed ¾ sleave shirt comes in all sizes and men’s & women’s styles. The shirts recognise our efforts in public asset protection since 1851 (Black Thursday). E-mail Pam Spencer to get yours sent out today. Just let us know your size and shape and it’s on its way to you. TOGETHER WE DO BETTER. Talk to a Colleague about Becoming a CPSU member. Click here to hand them a Membership form; http://www.cpsuvic.org/public_docs/memform.pdf KAREN BATT Victorian Branch Secretary
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