Australian Firefighters Call for Cancer Compensation
Source ABC Premium News (Australia)
Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria and the United Firefighters Union have set aside their differences to lobby the State Government for better cancer compensation.
The two groups were locked in an argument over training issues during the paid firefighters' last pay dispute.
They are now both asking the Government to copy the Federal system and provide compensation to firefighters for fire-related cancers.
Andrew Ford from the Volunteer Fire Brigades says volunteers and paid firefighters all do the same work and face the same risks.
"Firefighters are much more prone to certain types of cancer and that's because they're exposed to chemicals and toxins at fires and other incidents," he said.
"So you've really got to look at protections that can recognise that link between their duties as a firefighter and certain types of cancer."
He says volunteers should be covered because they do the same work as paid firefighters.
"They work together on the fireground. They do the same training. They use the same equipment and they face the same exposures.
"So they both deserve and need the same protection."
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