Brandon Lewis, the DCLG fire minister has written a second open letter to firefighters and has also written directly to the union in response to our most recent letters to him. A response which has been sent today addressing the key points he has raised. Please bring these issues to the attention of all members and remind all members of the need to vote in the current ballot.
We understand that a number of fire services have circulated Mr. Lewis’s letter to members of staff. This is somewhat surprising since the same employers have consistently stated that this matter, is purely between the government and the FBU and they have no role to play in settling the various matters under discussions.
The position they have adopted is unfortunate since fire service employers are setting fitness standards and are introducing capability policies related to fitness standards. It is these measures, alongside the altered pension age, which will lead to our members facing the threat of dismissal yet the fire service employers, are currently refusing to discuss these matters at a national level with the FBU.
