Some Long Standing Local Officials Go
This round of Local Officials elections has seen a number of long‐standing officials not standing for re‐election.
These include (in no particular order)
Graeme (Norm) Gilroy (Invercargill)
Jeff McCulloch (Auckland)
Pat Hogan (Gisborne)
Neville Christiansen (New Plymouth)
Matt Thorstensen (Timaru)
All these people have spent many years representing their members locally and in some cases, nationally, and they are entitled to a sincere vote of thanks from members for all their efforts.
Their dedication and commitment was outstanding and although they will no doubt be there to assist their successors, their presence will be missed.
Therefore a thank you on behalf of the Union and its members.
Sprinklered Buildings
The evidence is clear. Little or no Risk Assessments were undertaken by Local management before the cuts in response levels to sprinklered buildings were implemented.
In effected localities, officers of first responding appliances are following Union advice and making up responses to safe levels.
Any of these officers who are threatened with disciplinary action as a consequent will be supported by the Union.
This course is being pursued with the Diesel Fuel issue.
All the S.S.Os who have received warnings (in Invercargill, Dunedin, Timaru, Palmerston North) who acted with integrity to protect the health and safety of firefighters and who wish the Union to, will have Personal Grievances filed by the Union on their behalf shortly.
These S.S.Os are truly health and safety champions.
Too many managers (at all levels) only provide lip service to health and safety. When the crunch comes, they simply hide behind management prerogative – you must simply do what I tell you.
Those managers are true hypocrites and their pledge to respect/consider health and safety conditions means nothing.
