Working Time Directive

This Conference notes with concern the introduction of flexible working methods such as Central Resource Pools within Brigade's Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMPs), which have resulted in significant reductions in Brigade establishments. These IRMP changes frequently create increased prospects for employees to work pre arranged overtime shifts or carry out wholetime/retained duties, with the result that many employers regard this as an opportunity to work to encourage members of their workforce to individually resign their rights under the working time directive to derive even more flexibility and savings. It is clear that as a result of the combination of current, and forecast, poor economic climate and its associated likelihood of low percentage pay rises, the lack of a nationally accepted standard of fire cover and the current mis-use by some brigades of the IRMP process to implement cuts agendas, that this situation will become increasingly common within the British Fire Service as mounting numbers of the FBU's members will be offered growing incentives to spend increasingly more time at work than ever before. This Conference therefore calls upon the Executive Council to immediately and urgently implement the following action: • To redouble its efforts to campaign to highlight the social and health and safety hazards of being at work for long periods of time, as agreed at Conference previously. • To implement a working group to investigate the extent of, and identify the areas where members are, or are likely in the future to be, exercising their right as individuals to voluntarily withdraw from the Working Time Directive to report back to the Executive Council within 6 months of commencement. • That the findings of the working group be made available to Brigade Committees as soon as possible after this to assist them in identifying "at risk" groups and focussing their efforts regarding this issue. • That campaign materials be made expeditiously available to Brigade Committees on the issues surrounding the hazards and impact of individuals voluntarily withdrawing from the Working Time Directive for circulation to these identified groups (this material to include a form which enables the member to give the Employer notice that they intend to re enact their rights under the Working Time Directive).