The United Firefighters Union of Australia (UFUA) is the national union for Firefighters. The National Office assists in coordinating the efforts of UFUA Branches in achieving national goals and facilitates the sharing of useful information between branches. The UFUA is a member of the Global Alliance of Firefighter Unions, which links us to other firefighting unions in New Zealand, North America, Europe and Scandinavia and assist in the coordination of global campaigns, most notably improvements to equipment, personal protective clothing and presumptive cancer legislation.
The UFUA Tasmania Branch is an active participant in the activities of the UFUA and the Global Alliance, which saw Tasmania become the first jurisdiction in the world to recognise uterine cancer as an occupational cancer caused by firefighting.
As per the UFUA rules, the Tasmania Branch Committee of Management (BCOM) has 10 positions elected from the membership of the Tasmania Branch. These Positions are as follow:
- President
- Secretary
- Vice President
- Junior Vice President
- Trustee (x6)
BCOM members undertake governance functions, set the strategic direction and make strategic decisions for the Tasmania Branch and undertake leadership functions, including consulting with and discussing strategic priorities with members.
The President is usually the Chairperson when BCOM meetings, AGMs, or General Meetings are convened and regularly attends meetings with TFS, government officials and other stakeholders on behalf of the UFU. The Vice President and Junior Vice President assist in these roles when the President is unavailable.
The Secretary manages the day to day operations of the Tasmania Branch, including staff management, project management and ensuring the Branch is compliant with relevant legislation. Day to day operations includes a wide array of activities from administration and supporting members with individual issues though to coordinating industrial action and collective bargaining and advocacy to politicians about issues impacting members.
A number of other positions assist in coordinating the activities of the Tasmania Branch, including:
- WHS Representative
- Womens’ Representative
- Workplace Representatives
- Health and Safety Representatives (and Deputies)
The WHS Representative attends meetings of the TFS Central WHS Strategic Group as well as the UFUA National WHS Committee and Chairs meetings of UFU HSRs.
The Womens’ Representative attends the UFUA Womens’ Committee, Chairs the Womens’ Committee and represents the Branch in relevant forums.
Workplace Representatives are the backbone of every union and undertake a range of functions. This includes being a vital two-way communication link between BCOM and members to ensure feedback is received, questions are answered and misunderstandings are clarified. Workplace Representatives may also assist members with individual issues or facilitate consultation about broader issues. It is a dynamic and reflexive role that requires leadership to overcome or adapt to different challenges.
Health and Safety Representatives are critical for ensuring minimum WHS standards are adhered to. Numerous studies have demonstrated a link between having active HSRs and a significant reduction in workplace injuries and fatalities. HSRs are granted significant powers under the Workplace Health and Safety Act 2012, to ensure that non-compliance with minimum standards is remedied by the employer.