‘We are simply fodder’: Fire rescue staff revolt against union boss

White-collar workers at Fire Rescue Victoria who have been waiting five years for a pay rise have urged the government to intervene as they argue union boss Peter Marshall is stalling their negotiations.

A protracted dispute over the state’s firefighters will also rage for longer as the union moves to protect controversial veto clauses featured in two reports by the state’s corruption watchdog.

Corporate and technical staff at FRV, which includes roles in administration, support, legal and technology, have been due for a new enterprise agreement since 2021 but the United Firefighters Union has not put a deal to staff for a vote despite half a decade of negotiations.

Frustrated staff have signed a petition, seen by The Age , calling on the agency and state government to bypass the union and put a deal directly to staff.

The delay has meant staff have not had a pay rise, including for inflation, since 2021.

Two FRV staffers, speaking anonymously to avoid repercussions from the union, said they believed Marshall was reluctant to finalise the deal while he waited for the result of a separate pay dispute involving the state’s paid firefighters.

That agreement, which has dragged on since 2022, is being considered by the Fair Work Commission, which typically would limit the United Firefighters Union’s ability to campaign on FRV worksites.

But FRV corporate staff said that their EBA negotiations were acting as a loophole that allowed the union to keep using posters and perform other campaign activities that were not permitted for operational staff such as firefighters.

One source said their pay deal was being dragged out as an unofficial bargaining tool for the firefighters.

Under typical arrangements, the union negotiates with FRV and ultimately decides when a pay deal is acceptable to put to the workforce for a vote. But this has not happened in five years of negotiations, prompting the petition from 160 staff.

They asked the emergency services minister and FRV to make an offer directly to staff, bypassing the union entirely.

A Fire Rescue Victoria spokesperson said they acknowledged the concerns raised by corporate and technical staff.

“FRV understands that the prolonged industrial negotiations have been challenging for our corporate and technical workforce,” they said.

“We have bargained in good faith with the UFU for a replacement enterprise agreement since 2021 and have put forward seven offers, including our most recent in January 2026.