Retention Of Women Firefighters

This Annual Conference notes that some brigades spend a lot of time and thought on encouraging women to become firefighters because of the Government’s targets, but very little work is done to ensure that women remain in their chosen profession. Complacency towards breaches of equalities policies is the normal response. Complaints are difficult to make, and when made are often dealt with poorly. Women leave rather than put up with an isolating and unfriendly environment. Women have been full-time firefighters in the UK for more than 23 years. Many women have joined the Service, but numbers of women are still very low due to the Fire and Rescue Service being unable to retain women. Retention rates are not being made available to the Fire Brigades Union. We therefore demand that the Executive Council negotiate within the NJC an effective strategy for brigades to create workplaces which women are happy to work and remain in.