PART-TIME WORKERS (PREVENTION OF LESS FAVOURABLE TREATMENT) REGULATIONS – FIRE BRIGADES UNION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

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To:      Chief Fire Officers

            Chief Executives/Clerks to Fire Authorities

            Chairs of Fire Authorities

            Directors of Human Resources at Fire Authorities

Members of the National Joint Council           

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14 May 2013

CIRCULAR NJC/4/13

Dear Sir/Madam,

PART-TIME WORKERS (PREVENTION OF LESS FAVOURABLE TREATMENT) REGULATIONS – FIRE BRIGADES UNION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

For information only

1. Authorities are aware that the matter of whether or not the above settlement agreement should apply to wholetime employees who were employed on the retained duty system during the reference period (1 July 2000 to 30 June 2010) has been the subject of continued discussion between the National Employers, Fire Brigades Union and respective legal advisers.
2. We write to advise you that at the last meeting of the National Joint Council agreement was reached to extend the terms of the agreement to individuals as described in paragraph 1 above, subject to an individual meeting the over-arching eligibility criteria and where such an individual remained employed by the same Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA), with no break in continuity.  In common with the terms of the original agreement, this will not apply to an ex-employee unless he/she had previously entered an Employment Tribunal claim.
3. The precise detail of this change to the settlement agreement is under consideration and a further detailed circular will be issued shortly.
4. Accordingly, authorities can take no action in relation to preparing new offers for this group until such time as that circular is issued.
   
   Yours faithfully

SIMON PANNELL

MATT WRACK

Joint Secretaries