CODE 2, VOL 35, NO 8 : 16 April 2021

ANZAC DAY 2021 – PUBLIC HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS

As you have no doubt noticed over the years, the Holidays Act – 1983 (Queensland) (the Act) has various ways of dealing with public holidays when they fall on a Saturday or Sunday.

This ANZAC Day (25 April 2021) falls on a Sunday.  The Act, in the Schedule on page 10 and 11, specifically deals with ANZAC Day falling on a Sunday in the following way –

Schedule – Public holidays
25 April (ANZAC Day)
A public holiday is to be observed on—
(a) 25 April; or
(b) if 25 April is a Sunday—the following Monday


This has implications for all Queensland workers who will be rostered to work on Sunday 25 April 2021 (including you and your colleagues) in that you will not be paid public holiday entitlements for working that day (including call backs on that day).  Public holiday entitlements are paid on Monday 26 April 2021 instead. 


Professional Firefighters and Fire Communications Officers can find the provisions for public holidays at clause 23 on pages 37 – 40 of your award here.

Auxiliary Firefighters can find the provisions for public holidays at clause 26 on page 14 of your award here.

In previous years where this sort of occurrence has caused confusion, some members thought it was QFRS/QSS misapplying the entitlements correctly.  Whilst that’s understandable as they are not well known for getting these sorts of things (or anything really) right, I confirm this way of dealing with ANZAC Day falling on a Sunday is legislated for and applies to all Queensland workers.

You can find a copy of the Act 
here.


UFUQ TAKES ACTION ON PROBLEMS WITH ‘QAS ASSIST’

Your union has been in discussions with United Workers Union (the union that represents paramedics in Queensland) and I am pleased to advise we are in the process of writing to the Commissioners of QFRS and QAS to require a joint review to rewrite and renew the QFES/QAS agreement on interagency work.

The document is quite a few years old, is very vague and appears to be deliberately lacking in content relating to how and when you and your colleagues must be involved in a QAS response.

The two unions will require inclusion and participation in a working party including operational fireys and paramedics, comms officers from both agencies and managers from both agencies, with the aim of working out how to clarify many grey areas that currently result in what you’re increasingly reporting as call-outs that probably should not involve QFRS.

I encourage you to continue to report dubious QAS assist call outs to your Assistant Commissioner, using the form available at the back of the current policy, which you can find on the QFES ‘Gateway’ here.

I will update you on this matter once the correspondence has been sent and the working party is being assembled.


MEMBERS DISCOUNT ON OAKLEY SUNGLASSES

Oakley Australia have provided the UFUQ with an offer for members to receive a discount on a choice of Oakley’s best sellers at RRP less 40%.

You can visit the member’s area here to place your order.

If your item is not listed on the form, you can look through the Oakley website here and add the specific product code to the form.

There is a $7.20 freight charge. Please add this cost onto the form.

Please send your completed form back to the UFUQ office ufu@ufuq.com.au. Once your membership status has been confirmed, we will then forward your order directly to Oakley.

John Oliver - General Secretary

 

 

Authorised by John Oliver General Secretary 
United Firefighters' Union of Australia, Union of Employees QLD