The United Firefighters Union of Australia – Aviation Branch (UFUAV) is seeking to pressure industry super funds over a possible sale and leaseback of aeronautical rescue fire extinguishing facilities.
Super funds linked to the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), which is supposedly the preferred bidder For the proposal, they are being pressured to “carefully investigate” their involvement with QIC, with UFUAV saying they should investigate whether members’ retirement savings could be used.
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Syndicate-linked funds with links to QIC include Australian Retirement Trust, Brighter Super, Hostplus and HESTA.
“Workers would be deeply concerned if their retirement savings were in any way associated with supporting the privatization of an emergency service that exists to save lives,” said UFUAV Secretary Wes Garrett.
“Industry unions and super funds may not yet be aware that their members’ retirement savings could have a connection to this proposal.
“But it is clear that Union members in particular are unlikely to be comfortable with Peter Dutton having direction over investment decisions that could see their retirement savings used to privatize frontline emergency services.
“Workers and their unions have every right to ask whether they are comfortable with retirement savings being associated in any way with the commercialization of a frontline emergency service.”
Airservices provides ARFF services at 27 of the country’s busiest airports and operates a fleet of more than 100 firefighting vehicles.
According to an Essential Report survey of more than 1,000 Australians in late March cited by the union, 60 per cent of respondents said Airservices’ ARFF assets should remain under government control, which Garrett said helps demonstrate that ARFF is “fundamentally not suitable for commercial property”.
“Aviation firefighting is not a money-making venture, it is a vital emergency service dedicated to protecting the lives of Australia’s air travellers,” he said.
“To fulfill its mission, air rescue firefighting must continue to focus on operational readiness, maintenance and response times, where seconds can mean the difference between life and death, not shareholder profits.
“Introducing a profit motive into that system raises very serious public safety issues.”
The UFUAV has also taken note of the recent appointment of former Liberal leader Peter Dutton to the QIC board and says it is talking to its union allies to “build a united front against the use of workers’ retirement funds to privatize essential services and undermine employment conditions”.
“We know that privatization of emergency services has not worked abroad, why are we trying to introduce it here?” Garrett said.
“Firefighters do not strongly believe that critical emergency response capability should be treated as a financial product. We also do not believe that workers and union members want their retirement savings to be associated with that.
“Peter Dutton and his agenda were resoundingly rejected by Australians in the last federal election. Let’s not hand him our retirement savings now to continue the privatization of Australia’s emergency services.”
In a March statement, an Airservices spokesperson said many of its firefighting assets are at or nearing the end of their useful lives and that the “cooperative agreement” would allow it to “access the funding needed to modernize aviation rescue firefighting assets more quickly.”
“Under this proposal, an Australian strategic investment partner would own, maintain, upgrade and replace ARFF vehicles, equipment and facilities. The approach would accelerate investment in new assets without changing the work our people do,” the spokesperson said.
“Air services will continue to provide ARFF, air traffic control and all enabling functions required under the Air Services Act 1995and maintain full responsibility for regulatory and safety compliance.
“Airservices has been actively engaging with stakeholders, including the government, our staff and their union representatives since December, and provided detailed information and documentation on the proposal.
“We will continue to consult with interested parties throughout April and will keep them informed of any developments.”
Airservices has told Australian Aviation that it is “currently exploring a strategic partnership proposal to fund the modernization of Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) assets.”
“The air services began actively consulting staff, union representatives and the government in December, and no decision has been made to proceed with any proposals,” a spokesperson said.
