Dear Brother/Sister,
In 2008 the FBU won a major legal victory for firefighters who work the Retained Duty System (RDS). This legal process took eight years to achieve and meant that RDS firefighters could retrospectively access a firefighter pension scheme with benefits that reflected their whole time colleagues.
The FBU has committed considerable resources in an attempt to speed up the process. We have been given numerous promises on implementation dates, some in writing going back to 2011. Despite all this, after five years, and despite numerous assurances and broken promises, the scheme still has not been implemented anywhere in the UK.
FBU RDS members have been extremely patient but understandably the anger is growing. What is fuelling the fire even more is the recognition that Ministers in all parts of the UK are content to focus on introducing detrimental changes to our pensions while letting the issue of RDS pension rights drag on and on.
The FBU has accused Governments' of dragging their heels and have once again raised concerns that RDS firefighters will face significant changes to a scheme before they even have a chance to join it.
While this issue has been pending we have seen Ministers in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales impose two increases in employee contributions and force through other detrimental changes to our pensions. It is staggering that they are able to allocate resources to attacking our pensions but not to ensuring that improvements, which are now legally required, are implemented.
Once again we have written to the relevant Ministers in each part of the UK outlining the anger and frustration of RDS firefighters. The relevant letter is attached.
The FBU has condemned the Department for Communities and Local Government in England for dragging its feet and the administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales for doing nothing about it either.
We will continue to press this issue. It is clear that once again it falls to the FBU to pursue the issue and to fight to ensure RDS firefighters are treated with the professionalism and respect they deserve.
Yours fraternally,
Matt Wrack
General Secretary
attachments:
Brandon Lewis
Edwin Poots
Lesley Griffiths
Roseanna Cunningham
2013HOC0225SS
Circular ref
2013HOC0225SS
