Dear Sir/Madam
TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL (Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, 1 March 2012)
1. Section 4, part A, paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of the Scheme of Conditions of Service (Grey Book) outlines the principles on which duty systems should be based.
2. Where local agreement cannot be reached between the fire and rescue authority and the recognised trade union the difference can be referred to the NJC’s Technical Advisory Panel whose role is to seek agreement, but where that is not possible, to make recommendations.
3. Professor William Brown, who is assisted by the Joint Secretaries, is currently the Acting Chair of the panel.
4. The Technical Advisory Panel met on 1 March 2012 to consider a referral from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.
5. A copy of the recommendation, which is applicable only to Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, is attached. The recommendation subsequently formed the basis of local agreement.
Yours faithfully
SARAH MESSENGER
MATT WRACK
Joint Secretaries
Technical Advisory Panel of the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services
Greater
Meeting on ‘New Roster for Control’ – 1 March 2012
Those present
GMF&RS Management: FBU Representatives:
Jim Owen Paul Fogarty
Alyson Hall Kevin Brown
Emma Flint
Joint Secretaries – Gill Gittins (Employers) and John McGhee (Employees)
Chair – Professor William Brown
Background
In September 2011, in response to changing operational needs, GMF&RS Management started consultations with the FBU on changes to rostering and other aspects of working time for control staff. A central feature of the proposals was to bring control staff shifts into closer alignment with those of operational staff. A series of negotiation meetings were held between October 2011 and January 2012. Although there was a substantial level of agreement, three successive proposals were rejected when put to FBU members of the control staff. The main point of disagreement with the final proposal of 31/01/12 was the frequency of shifts on which staff might be required to be on short notice call in. The FBU proposed an alternative to reduce this frequency, with one person on mid-shift being transferred to the night shift. Management responded that this would involve significant and unnecessary additional expense at a time of severe budget cuts.
General considerations
The Rostering System Control Proposal of 31/01/12 meets the four requirements set out in Section 4, Part A (3) of the Scheme of Conditions of Service 6th Edition (2009).
Rostered reserved shifts not required to be worked, other than short notice shifts, are included and paid for in control staff’s annualised hours.
Recommendation
The Rostering System Control dated 31/01/12, (set out in the Appendix A of the Management submission and the third appendix of the FBU submission), complies with the requirements of the Scheme of Conditions of Service (6th Edition), and, in the interests of reaching a negotiated settlement, it also provides the appropriate basis for agreement.
Professor William Brown
21st March 2012
