Neil Mitchell slams UFU over ‘insulting’ suggestion firefighters calling 3AW aren’t really CFA volunteers

Neil Mitchell hasn’t even been back on the air for a week of 2020, and he’s already been banned by a union.

United Firefighters Union Secretary, Peter Marshall, issued a message in a union bulletin on Tuesday instructing members not to speak the media.

In the bulletin, Mr Marshall, accuses talkback radio callers to “a commercial radio station” of fabricating information, and lying about being CFA volunteers.

“He’s directly suggesting these people are not volunteers; they’re lying, they’re making it up,” Neil Mitchell said.

“All those CFA people who have been calling, the people calling to tell us about dodgy equipment, and old trucks, and poor conditions.

“He’s insulting the very people who have been so heroic in recent weeks — the volunteers.”

Neil said Mr Marshall is suggesting stories of recent firefighting efforts, like the one CFA volunteer of 35 years, Simon, shared on Tuesday, are fabricated. But they’re not.

“We’ve already spoken to one of the people involved in that incident and he’s confirmed it, but Peter Marshall from the UFU says people like Simon are ‘purportedly claiming to be CFA volunteers’,” the 3AW Mornings host said.

“He says their claims are ‘unsubstantiated and untested’.”

Neil said the bulletin, authorised by Mr Marshall, proves there is division between volunteer and career firefighters, despite the union’s denial of the conflict.

“His own behaviour here proves there is [conflict] and it’s destructive! If they need better equipment he should be supporting them, not insulting them!,” he said.

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