The month of March saw the government intensify its attacks on firefighters and our union, with official confirmation of forthcoming legislation that could see wide-ranging changes hit the fire and rescue service and its employees.
The government did not make the announcements alone. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) published a report that also called for the dismantling of the way pay is negotiated and for so-called “operational independence” for chief fire officers.
One of the main targets for criticism in HMICFRS’s annual report published in March 2021 is the Grey Book. This details the UK-wide terms and conditions of firefighters’ jobs and is the basis of their contracts of employment.
It is negotiated by the National Joint Council (NJC), where the FBU meets fire and rescue service employers representing fire authorities and fire boards. The FBU’s representation on the NJC give firefighters a say in what is included in the document.
Sir Thomas Winsor, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services, has declared that the Grey Book is “too rigid” and a “barrier to change and improvement”. He has called on government to review it.
WHAT IS IN THE GREY BOOK, AND WHY WE SHOULD DEFEND IT?
The Grey Book provides the basis of firefighters’ contracts as employees of UK fire and rescue services. It provides national standards and helps to limit variations in firefighters’ working conditions at a local level.
It covers hours of duty, shift systems and leave entitlement, helping firefighters to maintain a work-life balance while ensuring 24/7 fire cover across the UK.
Duty systems must meet basic principles, including an average of 42 working hours per week for full-time firefighters, 24-hour periods per week off duty, and being family-friendly.
The FBU must be consulted on any changes to existing duty systems or proposals from fire service management. We know that duty systems are one area where some chief officers would like a free hand to impose changes.
Fire and rescue service employees’ leave entitlement is clearly defined under the Grey Book, including the number of days paid annual leave and arrangements for public holidays.
Fire and rescue services are obliged to commit to family-friendly working practices and have in place policies to assist employees with children or other dependents. This includes employees’ basic rights to maternity leave and statutory maternity pay, as well as paternity leave, adoption leave, time off for dependents, and the right for employees to request flexible working arrangements.
IMPOSING WORK OUTSIDE ROLEMAPS
For those covered by the Grey Book, work roles are clearly defined under agreements reached through the NJC, providing protection for what can and cannot be reasonably demanded by the employer.
Employees’ duties and areas of competency – known as rolemaps – reflect fire and rescue services’ responsibilities to respond to emergencies and improve community safety.
This provides essential protection for FBU members against change being imposed unilaterally by their employer.
Where employers wish to introduce new work outside of the rolemaps, they must put proposals to the FBU for consultation. This helps to prevent fire chiefs imposing new responsibilities on fire service employees without adequate resources, training and proper remuneration for increased workloads.
FIREFIGHTERS’ HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE
Fire service employees encounter a wide variety of hazards that need to be controlled through training and risk assessments.
The Grey Book sets out guidance on firefighters’ health and safety at work for local fire services to follow, following the principle of maintaining a fit and healthy workforce while providing an efficient and effective fire service.
This includes the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and necessary uniforms free of charge, and entitlements to sick leave and sick pay.
Employers are expected to look after their employees’ welfare, providing advice and support on work-related issues such as stress, and supporting staff experiencing health problems with rehabilitation into the workplace.
DISCIPLINE AND GRIEVANCE
The Grey Book has clear grievance and disciplinary procedures for fire services to follow when issues between employees and employers arise.
The protocol for the grievance procedure includes stages and timescales for resolving employees’ complaints to ensure that their concerns are heard and not neglected by management.
The guidance for disciplinary procedures covers the scope for a disciplinary action, such as employees’ conduct, attendance and job performance; the requirement to undertake an appropriate investigation; the stages of the procedure; the rights of the employee; and process for appealing decisions.
This is intended to prevent unjust dismissals or sanctions and ensure that firefighters’ cases are treated fairly.
RESOLVING DISPUTES
One of the initiatives of the NJC is the protocol for maintaining good industrial relations in the fire and rescue service. It sets out how fire and rescue service managers can work with trade union representatives for the benefit of employees and local communities.
It requires fire service managers to consult and negotiate with the FBU on issues which will impact the workforce, such as changes to working hours or duties. The Grey Book provides model consultation and negotiation procedures for fire services and trade union representatives at a local level, including appropriate timescales for reaching a resolution.
The mechanisms in place in the Grey Book help to prevent chief fire officers from freely changing and worsening firefighters’ conditions.
When local fire services have attempted to impose non-NJC compliant duty systems, work outside the rolemap, or make changes to overtime working and other aspects of firefighters’ terms and conditions, the FBU has been able to fight them off.
FIRE CHIEFS UNCHECKED
The HMICFRS proposals not only entail ripping up the Grey Book containing all of these protections, but also giving greater independence to fire chiefs, including over terms and conditions.
This is dangerous for our members and for the service. The voice of firefighters and control staff in their conditions and service would be weakened or erased.
Senior management would be able to dictate terms and conditions to workers without agreement or consent. We have seen various attempts to do this over the years, but FBU members have often been able to fight them off.
If these attacks were successful, it would be the beginning of a race to the bottom in firefighters’ working conditions.
The FBU will not stand by and allow ministers to bulldoze firefighters’ hard-fought for terms and conditions, nor our seat at the table.
Firefighters are ready to stand up, speak up and make our voice heard to protect our say in our service, for now and for the future.
