Somerset Members to take stand

Union is to launch a ballot for industrial action over lack of new dimension insurance cover

The Union is to launch a ballot for industrial action in Somerset after the fire authority refused to reverse its decision to leave the families of firefighters attending a terrorist incident bearing the financial burden of any injury or fatality.

The ballot is expected to open June 27 and a yes vote will allow for industrial action to start towards the end of July.

The move comes amid a continued failure by Government to heed the Union’s demands that it get to grip with the lack of insurance cover for firefighters involved in responding to terrorist attacks.

On behalf of members, the FBU had demanded that the fire authority confirm that in the event of death or injury arising from a terrorist incident they will make good any shortfall in payment to FBU members and their families; and that until this happens all New Dimension activity and demands on staff to participate in New Dimension is stopped. Should the fire authority fail to conform to the Union’s request, a trade dispute would arise. Somerset fire authority failed to give those undertakings.

A letter from Somerset Assistant Chief Fire Officer Davis on 17 March confirmed that insurers do make exclusions in respect of terrorist incidents. But, having concluded that the risk of death or serious injury is remote, his response suggested that the financial impact of making good the resulting shortfall would be so huge that it would be unacceptable for the County to take ownership of the risk.

Somerset’s Chief Fire Officer, at a meeting on 19 May 2005, confirmed that arrangments would proceed for New Dimension incidents without any insurance protection in place for members and their families.

The Union has been in correspondence with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister since March 2004 over the issue of insurance cover, but steps have not been taken to remedy the matter.

While treating the issue of insurance cover as a low priority, the Government centrally and fire authorities locally such as Somerst have stressed the immediate and heightened risk of terrorist incidents. And they have pressed on with planning and preparation for New Dimension incidents.

Somerset members are urgently seeking confirmation that this matter will now be resolved so that they can attend terrorist incidents in the knowledge that their commitment will be recognised and their families protected in the event of death or serious injury at such incidents.

Says Leigh Redman, Chair of Somerset FBU:

“Members are angry that the Chief Fire Officer still hasn’t done anything to resolve the situation. We’ve been raising this issue with the Brigade for over a year now. We’ve done everything to work with them to resolve the issue. In all consultations we’ve had an open door policy. Yet the Fire Authority has done nothing.”

Adrian Woollaston, Brigade Secretary, says:

“The Government has overlooked this issue in the headlong rush to respond to 9/11.”

“We can’t stand by and allow our fire authority to ignore their duty of care towards their employees.”

“This is a fundamental issue directly related to the health and safety of FBU members – and it impacts their families and dependents. It’s the hidden sorrow. If the worse happens, the firefighters’ family finds that their life insurance and indemnity policy are not valid.”

“It is absolutely unacceptable.”

100+ MPs concerned about regional controls

Support is building among national politicians for the FBU’s campaign against regional controls. Early Day Motion 229, EDM 229: Risks Associated with Regional Emergency Fire Control, which was recently tabled by the FBU’s parliamentary group, now has 78 signatories. Thirty-one Tories have meanwhile signed an amendment calling for the project to be scrapped.

The growing support for our campaign is down to continual pressure from the Union and members, who have been posting letters to their MP and emailing them

Said Mike Penning MP in response to a letter from a member: “I am a former firefighter and…am fundamentally opposed to regional control centers and will say so in the Commons.”

Tim Loughton MP wrote to another member: “The Government's blind pursuit of its regionalisation agenda, without enough thought being given to the consequences of moving fire prevention and firefighting away from genuine local control, is at best foolish and at worst dangerous.

“There is no evidence that restructuring Fire Authorities around existing Government Office Regions and introducing regional control centres is operationally sound. I find this extremely concerning.”

Make sure your MP has signed it the EDM.You can do this simply and quickly.

Log on to the FBU’s Control CARe www.controlcare.org.uk or the FBU’s main website www.fbu.org.uk and follow the Lobby Your MP link. Then tap in your postcode. It will find your MP's e-mail address and you can zap it off to them.

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Last Modified: 7/04/08 10:50,