TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL (Royal Berkshire, January 2011)

National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire, Rescue and Services;

Technical Advisory Panel

Meeting, 31^st January 2011

Royal Berkshire Fire Authority and Fire Brigades Union

Issue: New Day Duty System for Windsor Fire Station

Those present

Panel: Professor William Brown (Chair)

            Gill Gittins (Employers’ Side)

            Andy Dark (Employees’ Side)

RBFA Employers:

            Dr Paul Bryant (Chair)

            Olaf Baars (Deputy Chief Fire Officer)

            David Wallace ( Director of Human Resources)

Fire Brigades Union:

            Karl Horan (Region 12 Executive Committee)

            Maurice Whyte (Brigade Chair)

            Mark Stollery ( Brigade Secretary)

Background

Following a review of fire cover across Berkshire, the RBFA decided, in 2007, to include in its Integrated Risk Management Plan the removal of night-time cover at the Windsor Fire Station. The resources released would enable 24 hour cover at Wokingham Fire Station, which is due to be rebuilt by July 2011. It was proposed to have two, 12 hour, day shifts at Windsor. Since there was no agreed standard day shift pattern for the RBFRS, negotiations started with informal discussions in 2009. There were failures to agree at the first two stages of the Negotiation Procedure. At Stage Three, the FBU representatives agreed to recommend a proposed day duty system for Windsor Fire Station and wider application within RBFRS to the RBFRS FBU Executive. In November 2010 the FBU Brigade Committee was reported to have failed to reach agreement. After further informal discussions, the matter was jointly referred to TAP.

The FBU position

The FBU regrets the decision to remove night cover from an urban conurbation such as Windsor. The Union is deeply concerned about the adverse consequences of shifts as long as 12 hours for the health and safety of firefighters and the well-being of their families. The geography and high property prices of Berkshire mean that firefighters typically have long commutes.

In order to mitigate these consequences, the Union proposed that there should be:

1. shifts of 11 hours
2. a 10% pensionable allowance
3. an extra hour’s stand-down
4. 5 additional days leave
5. a Station complement of  fifteen, including a station manager

The RBFA position

The removal of night cover from Windsor was closely linked to the expansion of the Wokingham Fire Station and part of a wider plan of improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the RBFRS. The proposed day duty system should be based around the 42 average hours per week of the national agreement. Bearing in mind concerns about fatigue and family caring, and taking account of practice in other Authorities, it was proposed that there should be:

1. duty hours 0800-2000
2. a two week rotation of Mon, Tues, Rota, Rota, Fri, Sat, Sun, Rota, Rota, Wed, Thurs, Rota, Rota, Rota
3. a one hour stand down period with two 15 minute tea breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Recommendation

This takes into account the cases put by both sides, and discussion of the issues with them. It also notes that the RBFA intends there to be a watch manager at the Windsor Fire Station under the proposed day shift. After substantial discussion within the Technical Advisory Panel, the recommendation of the Chair is:

1. duty hours 0800-2000
2. a two week rotation of Mon, Tues, Rota, Rota, Fri, Sat, Sun, Rota, Rota, Wed, Thurs, Rota, Rota, Rota
3. two one hour stand down periods, one at lunchtime and one in the afternoon/evening plus a 15 minute tea break in the morning per 12 hour shift
4. for those firefighters moving to the day watch at Windsor within three months of its commencing, there should be two payments of £1000, paid in two phases under the following conditions:
   1. Phase 1 to be paid within two pay periods of the initiation of the duty system
   2. Phase 2 to be paid 12 months after the first payment
   3. Those leaving within the two year period, for retirement or reasons other than operational requirement, will have the payment reduced pro-rata
5. settlement of the dayshift system at the Windsor Fire Station should be without prejudice to any future negotiations of other dayshift systems in Berkshire

This recommendation should be released to the parties on Friday 4^th February 2011 at 2pm, embargoed for further publication until 3pm on the same day.

Professor William Brown

4^th February 2011