Dear Brother / Sister
FBU Position on Vaccination for Covid-19
The ongoing Covid health crisis continues to throw up new challenges. We will all be aware of the efforts to roll out the vaccination programme across the UK. There has also been debate around the possibility of employers placing requirements or obligations on employees to undertake vaccination and provide evidence of this to the employer. The Executive Council addressed this at a recent meeting and concluded the following position:
- The FBU stands in solidarity with our brother and sister workers in health and care unions in opposing mandatory vaccination requirements.
- The FBU opposes the mandatory vaccination of workers and strongly opposes any detrimental treatment, re-deployment or loss of job of any worker who chooses not to be vaccinated.
- The FBU recognises that Covid-19 vaccination is considered best practice to protect firefighters and emergency fire control staff as well as friends, family and the communities we serve. Health unions and their professional members are clear that the vaccine reduces an individual’s risk of severe illness. It will also reduce the chance of contracting the infection and thereby passing infection to others who are more vulnerable to serious disease.
- There is currently no clear statutory provision that impacts upon firefighters and requires them to have been vaccinated when carrying out their duties.
- The FBU encourages all members whose personal circumstances allow, to get vaccinated.
- The FBU supports vaccination of FBU members and all workers, unless they are medically exempt or individual circumstances dictate otherwise, but believes education and support is the best method to achieve this rather than compulsion.
- The FBU encourages those members who feel they are able to, to provide their vaccination information to their FRS employer if asked. This should only be done where it is reasonably believed the information is being gathered as a reasonable request for the purposes of planning and safety only, and not to inform any discipline proceedings or detrimental treatment of members who have opted not to get vaccinated.
- The FBU will explore all industrial and legal resources at our disposal to challenge:
a. Any proposed introduction of mandatory vaccination in the FRS by government(s) in the UK;
b. Any proposed introduction of mandatory vaccination by any FRS;
c. Any proposed introduction of mandatory vaccination data gathering by any FRS;
d. The detrimental treatment of any FBU member through the introduction of employer-imposed or government-initiated introduction of mandatory vaccination for the fire sector.
a. Any proposed introduction of mandatory vaccination in the FRS by government(s) in the UK;
b. Any proposed introduction of mandatory vaccination by any FRS;
c. Any proposed introduction of mandatory vaccination data gathering by any FRS;
d. The detrimental treatment of any FBU member through the introduction of employer-imposed or government-initiated introduction of mandatory vaccination for the fire sector.
If fire and rescue services suggest any actions which are not in line with the relevant provisions in this statement, please inform your Brigade Officials.
Please ensure that you raise with local officials any developments or concerns within your service which may be relevant to the issue raised above.
Yours in Unity
Matt Wrack
General Secretary
