As Victorian volunteer firefighters ramp up legal action against the CFA, they have a new ally - the federal government.
Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria have been assured by federal Employment Minister Michaelia Cash the controversial CFA pay deal will be quashed when parliament resumes.
Writing to the VFBV's chief executive Andrew Ford, Ms Cash has promised to amend the Fair Work Act as a "matter of urgency" once parliament returns on August 30.
She also vowed to intervene in any application to the Fair Work Commission to approve the enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA).
"It is the government's very strong view that the agreement, as approved by the board, fails to address the very serious concerns raised by VFBV and others in relation to the limits it would place ... on the CFA to properly manage its affairs and deal with emergencies," she said in the letter released on Sunday.
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The CFA board on Friday endorsed an amended EBA which will now head to employees and union members to be voted on.
VFBV says it has not been consulted over the agreement, and has resumed legal action over the deal.
They filed an extension to an existing Supreme Court injunction last Wednesday and are set to appear in court in the next few days to fight the deal.
"The consultation process was a sham - the issues raised by VFBV on behalf of volunteers were in reality ignored," the VFBV said in a statement on Sunday.
The CFA board denies the claims, saying it "consulted extensively" with the VFBV and has "worked to address their concerns" before making its decision.
It took eight weeks for the new board to endorse the CFA deal, after the previous board was sacked by the government for refusing to send the proposal to a vote.
