FBU: THE ONLY ORGANISATION NEGOTIATING ON BEHALF OF RDS FIREFIGHTERS AT NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL
The FBU remains the only organisation negotiating on behalf of firefighters working the retained duty system at a national and local level, following the refusal of the Retained Firefighters Union (RFU) to take up their seat on the National Joint Council after having lobbied so hard for it.
The requirement for this organisation to have a seat on the NJC was that it only had to show that it had a membership of 1/14 of the uniformed fire service – that’s just 7.1%.
This extremely low threshold was granted – it was previously 1/12 - following heavy lobbying by the RFU, and backing for it by employers. The employers also demanded that the RFU obtain a seat on the NJC prior to any count of membership being made. Both demands were agreed by the FBU.
The first meeting of the newly constituted NJC took place Friday 28 September. The RFU were invited to attend, subject to their agreement that they would submit their membership to a count by a reputable and independent body agreed by the NJC and that they would meet the costs.
But they will not be taking their place on the NJC and will not be submitting their membership for an independent audit. They have informed that they wish to concentrate instead on "organising their brigade and regional structures".
However, we believe the decision not to attend can only mean one thing – they cannot prove that they have even the extremely low number of members now required to have a seat.
RDS firefighters reject RFU
Firefighters working the retained duty system have rejected this organisation – because they know that it is extremely divisive organisation that does not represent their best interests.
The failure of the RFU to attend the NJC – and thus leaving it to the FBU alone to conduct national negotiations with employers on pay and conditions for all uniformed staff of the UK fire and rescue service - completely vindicates the position taken by the FBU for the past four years.
Effort to undermine the FBU fails
Following the 2002/2003 pay dispute, senior figures in Government and the fire service were determined to undermine the FBU’s negotiating role by ensuring that other organisations were represented on the NJC.
This included the demand that the RFU be given a seat. It has always been the view of the FBU that workers should have the right to choose their own unions and that it is a matter for the workforce, not the employers, to decide who represents them. Therefore any organisation seeking a place on the NJC would need to demonstrate that it represented a viable section of the workforce.
The Union has consistently said to the employers that we have nothing to fear from a full audit of members and that we were not convinced the RFU would ever be able to meet the requirements for joining the NJC. Whatever the reason given, we feel certain that we have been proved correct again.
This latest development brings to an end the attempt to undermine the FBU and the unity of firefighters to defend and improve our Service, an end to this effort to create divisions between wholetime and retained firefighters.
Unity is strength
We are stronger when we work together, regardless of duty system. Most people working within our Service understand that. That is why the vast majority – wholetime and retained – are members of the FBU.
The FBU is against divisions created on the basis of where people work or on what Duty system.
Every firefighter – wholetime, retained, officer, control – who wants to defend our Service and work within our democratic structures, is welcome in the FBU.
MMNB
A Middle Managers’ Negotiating Body (MMNB) has been created as part of the changes to the NJC Constitution agreed between employers and the FBU on Friday 28 September.
The NJC MMNB, which held its first meeting on Friday, will function within the National Joint Council and will deal with issues relating to employees in station manager to area manager roles.
It has 28 seats with 14 seats on the employees side, 13 of which will be held by the FBU.
One seat will be held by FOA, subject to an independent audit - to take place within three months – of their membership to show that they have 1/14 of all employees of the UK fire and rescue service in the roles of station manager, group manager and area manager.
The FBU has nominated representatives from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to sit on the MMNB.
Jack Ford, FBU Executive Council member for officer members, Allan Guest, chair of the FBU’s Officers National Committee, Dave Beverley ONC secretary and Pan Poullais, ONC vice chair, plus John Denvir and Dave Cain are among those from the ONC that will be sitting on the MMNB. Other ONC members will be acting as advisors.
The position of the Joint Secretary to the MMNB is held by FBU General Secretary Matt Wrack, and the chair and vice-chair of the employees’ side of the MMNB are also FBU officials.
More information on the MMNB is being issued by the ONC to all officer members.
CPD
The National Joint Council formally signed off the Continual Professional Development (CPD) payment system at its meeting on Friday. Payments are now available. CPD payments will be backdated and they will be pensionable.
Two Republic of Ireland firefighters die on duty
Two firefighters in Bray, County Wicklow, Republic of Ireland, were killed on Wednesday 26 September when a roof collapsed at a fire in a disused factory that they were attending. The two firefighters were 46-year-old Brian Murray and 25-year-old Mark O'Shaugnessy.
The Union has contacted the firefighters’ section of SIPTU, our sister union in the Republic of Ireland, and passed on condolences on behalf of the FBU.
The funerals of firefighter Mark O'Shaugnessy and sub-officer Brian Murray took place on Monday and earlier today with delegations from FBU Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade attending.
An online book of condolences has been opened and can accessed via the following link:
www.anvilbook.com/guestbook.php?nrfa
Cornwall march to save 24-hour cover
Hundreds of residents joined firefighters in a march on Saturday 29 September in protest at the proposed withdrawal of 24-hour fire cover in Cornwall. People gathered outside Falmouth fire station on Saturday morning for the start of a 13-mile march - organised by newspaper Western Morning News and backed by the FBU - to Camborne fire station, picking up more demonstrators along the way.
The protest was against proposals by Cornwall County Council to downgrade Falmouth and Cambourne fire stations to day-time cover.
Dominic Keen, Falmouth FBU branch secretary, told the Western Morning News: "The county council are still trying to push ahead with downgrading. We've been campaigning against this and this is a chance for the public to show they're against these cuts. Hopefully, seeing the number of people who have turned out today, it will encourage them to change their mind. Especially at the moment, when there's a strong case for not downgrading."
Public safety and jobs on the line
Glen Beale, a firefighter at Falmouth, who joined the weekend march said: "We just want to be here to show our support. My job is important to me but also it's about the well-being of the public."
Jude Trevelyan, who lives just outside Falmouth in the village of Constantine, told the paper that she had joined the march because she had major concerns at the prospect of losing 24-hour cover. She said: "Where I live is quite difficult to get to anyway. There are lots of villages like mine and if we had a fire it would be a real problem."
Resident: “Delays could cost lives”
Robin Watson, from Penryn, took his children Hayley, four, and Damian, eight, on the march. He said: "The extra delay will mean the difference between a house being burnt down or not, and that could cost lives."
A final decision on the future of the two stations is expected next year after reports into the cause of the Penhallow hotel blaze, which claimed three lives, have been completed and released. The two stations are the only two remaining in Cornwall with 24-hour cover. The cuts also threaten 35 wholetime firefighter posts.
The Union, together with The Western Morning News, is also running a petition against the cuts. More than a thousand readers have supported the campaign so far by signing a petition. Please sign. Click on the below link, copy and paste it into your internet browser:
www.ipetitions.com/petition/firecuts/
Source:
www.westernmorningnews.co.uk
Too busy on CFS to attend fire
A pensioner had to be rescued from a blaze at her home by builders because firefighters in the area were dishing out fire safety leaflets. The 89-year-old woman was pulled to safety just seconds before her bedroom window was blown out.
Ninety per cent of the woman's bedroom of her first floor flat in Whittle Street, Swinton was destroyed by the blaze on Wednesday, September 5.
Builder Michael Ball was working on a nearby wedding shop with colleague Jason Freeman when they heard the woman's cries for help.
Michael told the Salford Advertiser: “We were at the top of the scaffolding and we heard a lady screaming and shouting. Luckily we had the ladders with us so we ran over and I ran upstairs but couldn't get through because of the smoke and heat. Jason then ran up the ladders and got her out.”
“Crazy” to leaflet when rescue needed
Michael, from Bolton, said it was 'crazy' that the local firefighters had been tied up leafleting rather than rescuing the pensioner.
The woman was taken to hospital but has now been discharged.
Firefighters from Agecroft could not attend the scene because their pump was locked up while they delivered leaflets and fitted smoke alarms. Engines from Salford and Eccles attended.
A few days earlier there was also a fire in Shap Crescent, Walkden, which resulted in three casualties. However, the engine for the area was again locked up in the street while firefighters were giving out leaflets.
Local FBU rep Dave Allsey said when other engines from in and outside of Salford had to cover for those posting leaflets it meant the other areas were then left without cover themselves.
Dave Allsey added: “The FBU has had an assurance from senior management that frontline fire service would not be taken off for posting leaflets and fitting smoke alarms.
“Smoke alarms don’t prevent fires, put them out or rescue people from them”
“They are clearly not abiding by it. The firefighters are appalled they’ve not been able to attend the fires in their area, which they know better than other crews. Smoke alarms do save lives but they don’t prevent fires, they don’t put them out and they don’t rescue people from them.
“This incident makes it clear to us that Greater Manchester FRS managers are more interested in satisfying targets, which are only used in the future to cut appliances, than rescuing people from fires.”
Source: Salford Advertiser, 13 Sep 2007
Emergency Services Award
GMTV are running an “Emergency Services Award”.
Members may recall the case of Tam Brown, the firefighter from Tayside who carried out a water rescue from the River Tay, during which what safety equipment he did have – failed: the line snapped.
Tam completed the rescue successfully despite the dangers to himself. Tam is one of four members of the emergency services in for the award.
For more information see:
http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=1&articleaction=displayPoll&pollid=1139&pollpos=1
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