The dispute between Westminster and Cardiff governments and firefighters over pensions and retirement age will be resolved through “dialogue, discussion and negotiation” and the Fire Brigades Union is available for talks “at any time”, the union has said.
On Thursday morning, the FBU received a letter from Fire Minister Brandon Lewis that expressed shared concerns over the potential dismissal of firefighters owing to lack of fitness as they became older.
The minister also offered to facilitate discussion between the union and fire and rescue services, arguing that they are responsible for finding a solution to the problem.
In reply, FBU general secretary Matt Wrack has written (dropbox link broken and removed) that firefighters are committed to negotiations that include every area of the dispute.
In the letter, Wrack said: “There are a range of concerns which the union has raised and which are reflected in our trade dispute.
“Not least of these is the fact that your plans include significant increases in employee contribution rates which threaten to make the proposed scheme unaffordable and therefore unsustainable.
“We welcome the commitment to continue dialogue, and I hope that we can move rapidly to discussing these issues, as well as the other points of concern within our dispute.“
Wrack also emphasised that there are a number of statements and principles on retirement age that need to be included in any such discussion and agreement, for example, the claim that firefighters that fail fitness tests will be “provided with a personal fitness training programme and re-tested until they pass.”
Earlier in the week the union confirmed that Industrial action in Scotland will not be proceeding at current time as a result of “straightforward discussions” between the FBU, the employer and the Scottish Government.”
