Firefighters deployed to some of Victoria's deadliest blazes, including Black Saturday, have launched industrial action over a battle with the Andrews government to finally recognise them as emergency services workers.

Hundreds of government-employed firefighters, who work in state forests and national parks, are often paid less than their counterparts in other fire agencies and are denied equal levels of death and disability insurance.

Forest firefighter Josh Hopwood is one of the hundreds of Victoria's forest firefighters who are refusing to conduct planned bushfire-prevention burns. Credit:JasonSouth

They have accused the state government of "disregard and even contempt" for the men and women who risk their lives in emergencies and work year-round conducting bushfire-prevention operations.

Over coming weeks, fire workers from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will refuse to carry out planned fuel-reduction burns across Victoria, as the stoush over a new workplace agreement drags on.