Metropolitan Fire Service

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:49): I am very excited about the 3,000 new jobs, at least. I seek leave to make a brief explanation, because I want to be getting back to something serious again here, sir, before asking the Minister for Emergency Services—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Brokenshire has the floor. Allow him to ask his question in silence.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Thank you for your protection, Mr President. I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Emergency Services a question about the treatment of injured Metropolitan Fire Service personnel.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: I have received complaints that MFS members are being pressured to resign, against their will, following an injury. Reports I have received include incidents of bullying and harassment, with individuals being segregated and isolated when they return to work following a long-term injury, in particular, but also general injuries. They are being told that they are not wanted and are being pressured to resign. Other reports include individuals being sent to psychiatrists to prove they are a risk to themselves or others.

This type of archaic behaviour is unacceptable in any workplace and the idea, or even the fear, that you may be labelled a risk is sure to act as a disincentive to our brave metropolitan firefighters to reach out for help in dealing with the type of traumas they see on the job. My questions to the minister are:

1. Is the minister aware of pressure put on injured MFS staff to accept redundancies by anyone in the MFS, in government departments or even by the union that is supposed to protect their interests, or has he been briefed on the numbers?

2. Can the minister advise how many injured members of the MFS have been made redundant over the past five years (he can take that on notice)?

3. Is the minister willing to investigate these claims and take appropriate action against any members of the government, the MFS or the United Firefighters Union who are found to be in breach of laws surrounding the Equal Opportunity Act or in breach of codes of conduct in relation to harassment, bullying and loss of dignity?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:52): I thank the Hon. Mr Brokenshire for his questions. I am very grateful to be receiving a question from a member of Family First in the context of their unwavering commitment to workers' rights. Having some familiarity with the return to work legislation in this state, and the substantial amount of effort that both ReturnToWorkSA and the state government have put in to make sure that the balance we have between the interests of injured workers and their recovery and, of course, businesses writ large is the right balance, I can say, with a high degree of authority, that it is very much my expectation of all parties to the Return to Work Act—whether that be ReturnToWorkSA itself or the state government, in this case, as an employer, the UFU as representatives of firefighters, or indeed injured workers themselves—that that law is complied with. There is a range of provisions within the Return to Work Act which protect injured workers.

I do not think any worker, injured or otherwise, should be subjected to any form of bullying. I have not been made aware, and I certainly cannot recall being made aware, in recent times of any individual complaints from workers regarding bullying within the MFS. My experience with the MFS is that it has a very good culture within it. Naturally, when you employ hundreds of people there will always be points of tension, but I am not aware of a culture of bullying or anything that suggests it.

There are individual incidents that have arisen, and there is a whole range of avenues available to those workers to be able to make a complaint through the appropriate channels if they think they have not been dealt with in a way that is fair or, indeed, consistent with the law. What I would say to those individual workers—or for that matter anyone else if they are making a complaint—is to use the appropriate channels available to them to ensure that their grievance is dealt with in a way that is consistent with the law.