Forest firefighters will march on Victorian Parliament Wednesday 29th of October demanding fair pay, as the state faces a critical bushfire season with a depleted emergency response fleet.
AWU members and supporters will gather at Victoria Trades Hall at 11:30am before marching to Parliament House, calling on the Victorian Government to honour its commitment to the workers who protect Victorian lives and property.
The rally comes as Forest Fire Management Victoria faces significant operational challenges, with 290 G-Wagons and 59 Unimogs taken offline due to chassis and subframe faults, just weeks before the start of fire season.
AWU Victorian Branch President and Lead Country Organiser Ross Kenna said forest firefighters had been more than reasonable, but DEECA's stalling tactics had run their course.
"Make no mistake - these are the workers who stand between Victorian communities and catastrophic bushfire," Mr Kenna said.
"When the alarm sounds, they're the ones heading into the flames. They're highly trained, highly skilled, and they put their lives on the line. Yet they're being treated like they're disposable."
"We've negotiated in good faith. We've followed every process. We've given this department months to do the right thing. Instead, we get delay tactics and excuses."
"Enough is enough. Today we're bringing our fight to the steps of Parliament. If the Government won't come to the table, we'll bring the table to them."
AWU Victorian Secretary Ronnie Hayden said the timing of the vehicle crisis made the pay dispute even more unconscionable.
"The entire G-Wagon fleet is grounded with structural faults, fire season is bearing down on us, and the Government still won't pay these workers what they're worth," Mr. Hayden said.
"This is a damning indictment of how this state values its emergency services workers. Broken promises, broken vehicles, and workers left to carry the burden."
"These firefighters have held the line through every crisis this state has faced. It's time the Government held up its end of the bargain."
"The Premier recently thanked our forest firefighters for their work. Well, words are cheap, but the cost of living is not - as our members know all too well. If Jacinta Allan truly values these workers, she'll back up her thanks with fair pay."
Mr. Kenna was clear that while AWU members would never walk away from protecting Victorian communities, the fight for fair pay would not be dropped.
"Our members are professionals. They'll keep doing what they've always done, protecting this state from fire," he said.
"But let's be crystal clear: commitment to the job doesn't mean accepting exploitation. These workers have families. They have mortgages. They deserve to be paid what they're worth."
"Fair pay isn't a nice-to-have. It's not something we'll negotiate away. It's a matter of respect, and it's long overdue."
RALLY DETAILS:
What: AWU Rally for Forest Firefighters - Fair Pay Now
When: Wednesday, 29 October 2025, 11:30am
Where: Assemble at Victoria Trades Hall, march to Parliament House
BACKGROUND:
- Forest Fire Management Victoria has taken 290 G-Wagons and 59 Unimogs offline due to chassis and subframe faults
- Contingency fleet includes Landcruisers, fire tankers and bulldozers, with additional vehicles provided by CFA and SES
- Fire season in Victoria typically begins in early November
- AWU represents field staff who undertake preparedness work and fight fires
- AWU health and safety representatives identified the current chassis safety issues
Media Contact:
SASHA DOUGHERTY
AWU Communications Manager
0438 498 305
[email protected]