Merseyside Fire Brigades Union members are being balloted for industrial action short of strike, in relation to a number of recent and long-standing issues pertaining to attacks on terms and condition service and an imposed reduction in the agreed minimum night-time staffing numbers in Fire Control.
The imposed reduction in night-time staffing numbers in Fire Control in particular poses a potential risk to firefighters and members of the public alike.
The ballot and any industrial action that would take place is entirely separate from the current national pay dispute.
The Merseyside ballot will close on Friday 11th November and will ballot all FBU members on whether to stop undertaking any pre-arranged overtime, beginning no earlier than Thursday 1st December and potentially lasting for six months.
Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said:
Firefighters deserve to be treated fairly: that should be a given. That involves employers sticking to what they’ve negotiated with firefighters and negotiating rather than imposing changes. We need a fire service where properly paid firefighters are treated fairly and there is a proper level of cover. We are prepared to fight for both. The whole union stands shoulder to shoulder with Merseyside firefighters and control staff in their dispute.
Ian Hibbert, Fire Brigades Union Merseyside Brigade Secretary, said:
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service continued refusal to abide by locally and nationally agreed negotiation procedures has left Merseyside FBU members with little choice but to ballot for action short of strike. FBU members do not take industrial action lightly, but we can no longer stand by as our terms and conditions of service are attacked and eroded.
Merseyside FBU members are angry and frustrated that their concerns are continually marginalised and that Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service has repeatedly sought to circumvent locally and nationally agreed negotiation procedures and, in many cases, sought to cut the Fire Brigades Union out of conversations entirely.
We are not asking for a lot. All we are asking is that our employer honour our nationally agreed terms and conditions of service and sit down and reach agreement with the FBU on all issues as they should have done from the outset.
The issues which have led to ballot are:
- The imposed reduction in night-time staffing numbers in Merseyside Fire Control Room from the agreed level of 6 to 5.
- The introduction of new duty shift systems - without negotiation - which essentially require new firefighters to work both wholetime and retained and breach nationally agreed terms and conditions in relation to overtime rates of pay.
- Apprentices being required to attend the workplace outside of core hours to undertake training sessions, assessments, charity days and exams.
- The non-agreed expansion of the firefighter role in contracts for all new entrant
Image credit: Andre Gustavo Stumpf, available here
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