Volunteer firefighters who work for federal government will get extra four weeks paid leave

Volunteer firefighters will get an extra FOUR WEEKS paid leave – but only if they’re PUBLIC SERVANTS

  • Scott Morrison announced plan to compensate volunteer firefighters Tuesday
  • Those who work in the public sector will be given extra four weeks paid leave  
  • PM said move will ensure volunteers could focus on fighting blazes  

Volunteer firefighters who work as Commonwealth public servants will be entitled to an extra four weeks of annual leave a year.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the Christmas Eve announcement as 40 fires continued to burn out of control in New South Wales, his home state.

The Rural Fire Service is made up of volunteers taking time off work to fight blazes as Australia battles the worst drought in living memory.

Mr Morrison’s Tuesday announcement was made three days after he cut short his annual leave to return from Hawaii.

‘One of the things I’ve heard on the ground is that some people are dipping into their other leave entitlements to stay out there battling blazes,’ he tweeted.

‘Today’s announcement is about ensuring our volunteer firefighters can keep focused on the job at hand.’

Under the changes, all commonwealth public service workers will get at least 20 working days paid leave, or 28 calendar days, if they volunteer for fire fighting efforts.

Any additional leave will be provided for as needed.

‘We’re helping get more boots on the ground and giving people who’ve been out there for weeks some relief,’ Mr Morrison said.

The change to volunteer leave entitlements for commonwealth public servants brings them into line with arrangements offered to Australian Defence Force reservists.

To date, commonwealth employees had ad hoc volunteer leave entitlements.

The directive to Commonwealth department and agency heads applies to about 242,000 federal public servants.

Another  

‘They are involved in their local brigades, some of them,’ Mr Morrison told reporters in Adelaide.

‘This will enable them to be able to commit more time in their brigades, and relieve … small and regional towns that draw the volunteers from their own self-employed arrangements or small businesses for whom the continued support to have their volunteers out fighting fires and not working.’

Mr Morrison also called on large employers to follow the government’s lead on volunteer leave arrangements, to ease the load on self-employed and small businesses.

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