Victorian firefighters union threatens legal action against own members

The Victorian firefighters union is threatening legal action against its own members to compel them to pay a $644 levy. The levy is meant to cover the union's substantial legal expenses, which amounted to nearly $2.3 million last financial year. The court proceedings may be necessary to recover debt from the mounting legal costs associated with ongoing action against Fire Rescue Victoria over the firefighters' Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA).

The union has sent letters to members who have not yet paid the levy, informing them that if the matter is not resolved, court proceedings will be initiated to recover the debt. In addition to the CCF (Court Case Funding) levy, members may also be required to pay interest and costs. One union member, speaking anonymously to the ABC, criticized the union's actions, stating that it is unhelpful and detrimental to the mental health and wellbeing of members.

The union's decision to impose the levy was made unanimously by members at five union meetings, and most of them have already paid. However, several FRV employees expressed frustration over the number of legal cases the union is pursuing, suggesting that better financial management and reduced litigation could have prevented these additional costs.