The Westminster government’s fire and rescue White Paper is a coordinated attack on pay and conditions, the FBU has charged.
In its formal submission, the union criticises the White Paper’s proposals as an attack on firefighters’ right to have a say on their pay and conditions, including those relating to safety.
The White Paper proposes a review of pay structures which is likely to consider replacing collective bargaining with a pay review body, which would enable ministers to unilaterally decide pay rates.
Other proposals could result in industrial action being weakened or undermined.
More broadly, the White Paper lacks proposals to improve the service.
It also suggests that the powers of chief fire officers should be increased. This could impact areas that have a direct effect on the service the public receives, including reducing firefighter numbers, response time targets, cutting night cover and new shift systems.
The White Paper further proposes transferring governance of the fire and rescue service to a single individual. This could see police and crime commissioners, or a mayor or single councillor, taking over fire and rescue services.
The union warns that proposal reduces democratic oversight.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said it was “absolutely scandalous that the government has launched this coordinated attack on the pay and conditions of hard-working firefighters, and on the fire and rescue service.
When it comes to the fire and rescue service itself, we are clear. Chief fire officers cannot be trusted to get it right on their own
More power for them over matters like the number of firefighters, attendance times or night cover will make the public’s fire and rescue service worse – the evidence on that is absolutely clear.”
The FBU submission says the White Paper is “remarkably thin on substance” and “lacking real ambition”.
Instead, it seeks to reduce firefighters to “shut up and do as you are told” status.
The FBU said it would engage with ministers and employers over detailed proposals, but the primary message to ministers was “stop and think again: this is not the way to improve our service and profession”.
The union lists other flaws in the White Paper:
- No provisions to improve the service
- No new investment
- Right of firefighters to collectively bargain with employers over pay, conditions, safety and other vital matters threatened
- Firefighters’ pay cut, and increased hours and intensity of work
The union says the rationale for the White Paper is based on “false claims, half-truths and mistakes”. These include:
- Claims about the Covid-19 response, which are “simply untrue”
- Claims about the Grenfell Tower fire which ignore the public inquiry and frontline firefighters.
“Contemptible” myths and lies about firefighters and the FBU during the pandemic.
The White Paper contains gimmicks, which would contribute nothing to the service, the union says. These include an oath, “committing firefighters to do as they are told, while losing the right to be heard”.
The union points out that oaths have not prevented MPs from being guilty of “widespread law-breaking, corrupt decision making, crimes and other breaches of the rules”.
The FBU says the White Paper contains some proposals it would be happy to discuss, subject to ministers providing more detail. These include:
- A College of Fire and Rescue
- Professional standards for entry and officers
- Research and data.
The union’s submission refutes claims of “slow progress” in negotiations on broadening the role of firefighters because of current negotiating arrangements, pointing out government failure to fund change is the true cause.
The union advances its own plans for the service, including:
- Westminster-funded investment in the fire and rescue service across the UK
- Immediate recruitment of 5,000 new firefighters
- UK-wide service delivery standards
- A statutory advisory body for the UK, including the FBU
- A publicly owned and funded fire service college and fire research body
- Returning the Building Research Establishment to public ownership
- Restoring all building control functions to local authority building control
- An adequately resourced and high quality fire safety inspection regime conducted by trained fire and rescue service specialist fire safety inspectors.
- FBU submission on the White Paper: bit.ly/3vMyg7V
- Government’s Reforming our Fire and Rescue Service White Paper: bit.ly/3QtIgec
