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Welcome

Welcome to the United Firefighters Union of Australia (‘UFUA) Website.

The UFUA represents 8 Professional Firefighter union branches: Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, ACT, New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and the Aviation sector Branch.

Each branch has a very high level of union membership, with the majority of branches averaging a high proportion of the workforce as its member base.

Our members are career firefighters employed on a full-time basis, part time basis and a retained casual basis. The UFUA also represents fire service administrative and support personnel.

Today the UFUA represents more than 13,000 firefighters and support staff through continued campaigns and advocacy aimed at achieving improved working conditions for those men and women and support personnel facing dangerous and often life-threatening situations in their daily work.

On behalf of the National Committee of Management, welcome to the United Firefighters Union of Australia (UFUA) website.

The UFUA represents 8 Professional Firefighter union branches: Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, ACT, New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and the Aviation sector Branch.

Each branch has a very high level of union membership, with the majority of branches enjoying a high proportion of the workforce as its member base.

Our members are primarily career firefighters employed on a full-time basis, part time basis and a retained casual basis. The UFUA also represents fire service administrative, communications and support personnel.

Today the UFUA represents more than 13,000 firefighters and related staff through continued campaigns and advocacy aimed at achieving improved working conditions for those men and women and support personnel facing dangerous and often life-threatening situations in their daily work.

This website aims to link our members through shared knowledge around the wide array of issues that we encounter. It is difficult to think of any area of public policy that isn’t somehow related to fire prevention, firefighting and rescue. I hope this website serves as an evolving resource in the face of the challenges our members confront daily.

If you have any suggestions about how we can improve the site, or about things we should add or links we should include, please take the time to contact the website administrator at admin@ufua.asn.au.

In unity and solidarity

Greg McConville
UFUA National Secretary

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2022 United Nations Stockholm Convention - Mick Tisbury

The UFUA - Fighting for Firefighters

Our Inauguration

Inauguration Group Image
Group Photo Back Row to Front – Top Row - NSW Peter Stathis, Des Cooper & John Slade. QLD Scott Morgan & Steve Robertson. WA Chris Evans & Bob Wood. 
Middle Row - Vic Lawrie Drew & Kevin Whelan. Airport Firies, Leo Donavan & Cliff Dunn. Tas Nick Devine. ACT Mike Stomps. SA Paddy Melin. 
Front Row, Vic Peter Lucas. National Secretary From SA Mick Doyle, National President from Victoria Rod Knowles, NT Murray Riley (observer) Queensland 3rd Rep Gary Hammond (not pictured)
Jock Pollock past UFU Vic Branch President shaking hands with Rod Knowles, National President
Jock Pollock past UFU Vic Branch President shaking hands with Rod Knowles, National President

The United Firefighters Union of Australia was officially registered on August 1, 1990, the culmination of a protracted battle which spanned more than 20 years.

The UFUA was originally registered in 1969 by the Deputy Industrial Registrar of the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission.

But success was short lived due to strong opposition from country and metropolitan fire brigades from across Australia, which led to a High Court appeal against the registration.

The Chief Officers of the Country Fire Authority, the Country Fire Authority of Victoria, the Metropolitan Fire Brigades Boards of Melbourne, Brisbane, Launceston, Hobart, Adelaide and Western Australia and the Board of Fire Commissioners of New South Wales were united in their resistance to a national union…

Submissions & Campaigns

6 most recent submissions and campaigns

UFUA News

UFUA BULLETIN #005/2024

UFUA welcomes expanded presumptive cancer laws in Queensland, with legislation introduced by the Queensland Government to expand by 10 the number of cancers included in

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UFUA BULLETIN #002/2024

Commonwealth changes to the Fair Work Act passed the Senate 08/02/2024. To read the latest National Bulletin covering firefighter wins on the pathway to PTSD

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UFUA BULLETIN #001/2024

The UFUA takes seriously the role of research into firefighter health and wellbeing. We engage closely with academics and research institutions to ensure that research

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UFUA BULLETIN #026

Firefighter Presumptive Cancer Precedent. Noting that the Commonwealth presumptive cancer laws set a template for laws across Australia, this National Bulletin features an important case

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UFUA BULLETIN #024

Through the UFUA’s membership of the Global Alliance of Firefighting Unions, we were invited to attend and present at the International Association of Firefighters’ (IAFF)

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