Transferability

This Annual Conference fully supports the victory of the FBU in obtaining part time worker rights for all Retained Duty System (RDS) firefighters. One of the significant advantages of these rights is that it gives RDS firefighters the right to apply for wholetime posts without being treated less favourably than their wholetime counterparts. However, this Conference condemns any Fire Authority who misuses this legislation by ring fencing wholetime posts exclusively for RDS transferees and in doing so reinforcing inequality between duty systems. This practice further undermines the equality agenda which was set in order to ensure that applicants into the Fire and Rescue Service were taken from the widest possible pool of people. Therefore, we call upon the Executive Council to immediately carry out a review of Fire and Rescue Services regarding this issue with a view to developing clear policy and guidelines for brigade officials to follow.