Membership, recruitment and organising

1. Introduction

It has long been the aim of the Fire Brigades Union to organise all those workers within
our sector. However, this immediately raises the question how we define the sector. For
many years this appeared a straightforward matter and the union’s rules previously
limited this to those working under National Joint Council (NJC) conditions of service.
However, problems have increasingly appeared as the structure of our industry/service
has changed. One problem with such an approach is that any worker or group of workers
whose employment or conditions of service are removed from the auspices of the NJC
would no longer be eligible for membership. This has already been the situation in a
number of cases and as a result Conference previously amended our rules in an attempt
to take account of such cases, albeit seeing them as exceptional circumstances.
Nevertheless, the scale of change within our industry has continued and developed
and shows no sign of slowing down. The FBU needs to continue to discuss and
address such changes if we are to maintain ourselves as an independent fire and
rescue service union. Resolutions agreed by Conference have called on the Executive
Council to give further consideration to the parameters of FBU membership so as to
take account of these various changes.

The Executive Council has considered these issues and as a result has presented
further changes to rules governing membership. This statement is dependent on the
acceptance of those rule changes.

The approach that the Executive Council recommends is to broaden the scope for
FBU membership to reflect the changing industry in which we work. It would mark a
shift towards organising more as an industrial-type union allowing the FBU to
determine the definition of the industry which we seek to organise. The proposed new
rules suggest that we seek: “To organise all those employed in the provisions of
firefighting, rescue or related services.”

A number of examples demonstrate why such a shift is desirable and necessary:

● Our Control members covering the majority of Fire and Rescue Services in
the North West (Region 5) no longer work for local authority fire and rescue
services and are currently not employed on NJC conditions of service.
● Despite our opposition, in a number of Fire and Rescue Services, the
provision of training has been privatised. Those employed within such
training departments are not employed by a local Fire and Rescue Service or
on NJC conditions of service.
● The Fire Service College (Moreton in Marsh) has been privatised, raising
questions about the future employment and conditions of specialist fire
service trainers.
● In virtually all Fire and Rescue Services there are posts that were previously
filled by uniformed FBU members on Grey Book conditions, but have been
downgraded and removed from Grey Book conditions i.e. these were
previously identified as firefighter jobs but are no longer considered as such.
● There are numerous examples of workers in such areas of employment (and
who are not currently organised) seeking membership of the union but not
being recruited.

The Executive Council is aware that this approach requires considerable further
development and consideration. It will require resources, training and new thinking if it
is to be successful.

2. Widening our membership

A widening of our membership base requires a number of organisational issues to be
addressed, including:
a. Contributions
b. Internal culture
c. Structure
d. Bargaining rights
e. Contributions

The FBU has broadly adopted the approach of one contribution level. Variations have
been based on a direct relationship to the pay of a competent firefighter (e.g. RDS
members; job share members).

There are already difficulties which have been identified with this approach,
particularly with the significant differences in salary between those members who are
on trainee or development rates of pay.

Recommendation A: To address the salary differences the Executive Council
recommends that the contribution rates of competent firefighter members continue to
provide the basis for all membership contributions but that an additional range of
contribution rates is adopted. This would allow contributions to take account of
different rates of salary/pay. Each year the Executive Council would provide the details
of the uprated contributions in each category. It is recommended for the present that
AIF and political fund contributions remain the same as currently. The Executive
Council will review this further.

Proposed Initial Contribution Rates

To agree a structure for contributions, we must consider the current grey book
members and how a fair non grey book rate can be adopted. After assessing a range
of factors, the following is proposed:-
The Executive Council shall issue details of contribution rates. The principles shall be
as follows:-

1. Grey Book Rates:-
All rates shall be set out in the rule book, except that there shall be an
introductory rate for Trainee/Development wholetime members, which shall offer a
lower contribution for a period of one year from initially joining the service. This
shall initially be set at £15.21.
2. Non Grey Book Rates:-
a. The maximum rate shall be the current Ordinary Member Full Time rate
(currently £23.40)
b. The minimum rate shall be the current RDS contribution rate (currently £7.71)
c. There shall be a scale of contributions based upon salary, which shall be
agreed by the Executive Council and published each year.
Note: The political and AIF contributions remain as per circular 2014HOC0483MW.

b. Internal culture

The fire and rescue service has always evolved and developed. Occasionally this has
required our members to accept significant cultural changes. For example, over the
past three decades the growing debate on equality and diversity has occasionally
caused difficulties for some within the service. Similarly, the approach to and attitude
towards retained firefighters has changed considerably since the 1970/80s, to the
benefit of all within our union. While there remains considerable progress to be made
it is obvious to any observer that the fire and rescue service of today is very different
to that of thirty years ago. Firefighters have addressed change. Our service, our union
and our culture have changed and developed as a result.

Similar challenges can be expected from the changes proposed here. The Executive
Council believes these can be successfully addressed by communications, by
campaigning and by education. This will require explanatory material for members,
and education and training for FBU officials.

c. Structure

Clearly, all FBU ‘ordinary members’ have equal rights to representation, to stand for
position and all the other rights and obligations under the rule book. The new
challenges we shall face are already being faced as a result of the changes set out
above. There are already members who are not employed by local authority Fire and
Rescue Services and therefore do not easily sit within the Brigade Committee
structure at local level. The union has already had to find organisational solutions to
these issues. This will continue to be the case. All officials and committees will need
to be alive to these challenges and will need to seek solutions to problems as they
arise and seek Executive Council advice and approval as appropriate.

d. Bargaining rights

In recruiting new groups of members (for example in privatised training departments)
the FBU will need to be frank about current bargaining arrangements. In such
workplaces there may be no recognition, but this union, like all others, has had to fight
and campaign for recognition and the right to bargain.

In other circumstances there are already situations where the FBU is leading
negotiations which impact upon large numbers of other workers, including non-union
members. In most Fire and Rescue Services local policies on many issues cover all
staff so the union is well placed to organise workers around such issues. These
include conditions of service issues such as discipline and grievance policies, local
payments and allowances. In addition, the FBU already leads local campaigns on
matters such as local cuts to the fire and rescue service.

3. Recruitment and organising strategy

The new approach set out above will require considerable work at all levels of our
organisation. The Executive Council is clear that any recruitment and organising
strategy must be sustainable in the long term; it needs to be carefully planned. If we
seek to organise workers we need to be clear about who we are seeking to organise,
what we are offering and how we intend them to be a part of the FBU. Our organising
strategy needs to address the following:

a. Mapping our organisation: strengths and weaknesses
It is necessary to map in detail the current strengths and weaknesses of our structure;
the situation in our workplaces branches; the number of local officials and the level of
their involvement with and training by the union. The Executive Council will therefore
conduct a thorough survey of our committees to draw up a balance sheet against
which future progress can be measured.

b. Building our branches
The workplace branch has been essential to the building and development of the
FBU. Its role is enshrined in our rule book. It is the basic building block of our
structure which enables workers to organise themselves democratically within the
workplace. Ensuring the health and viability of our workplace branches is therefore
essential for our future. New educational support, including FBU ‘taster’ sessions
have been developed in order to encourage the participation of members in the FBU
structure starting with the branch. Building, strengthening and developing our
branches will be crucial to an effective organising strategy.

c. RDS recruitment
The FBU is already the biggest organisation by far among RDS firefighters. However,
the single largest area for potential growth remains among RDS firefighters who are
not currently members of the FBU. This is often made more difficult by geography and
the working arrangements of RDS firefighters (e.g. geographical locations and drill
nights). Experience shows that when we are able to speak directly to the currently
unorganised RDS firefighters we are successful in recruiting them. Our strategy will
require a development of current approach, careful mapping and new methods to
systematically approach all RDS workplaces.

d. Other areas of organising
The Executive Council is clear that the recruitment of new non-grey book groups of
workers raises a whole range of significant and new challenges, some of which are set
out above. It is therefore essential that such organising is conducted in a planned and
structured way. Regional and Brigade committees must not launch campaigns or
recruit new non-grey book groups of workers into membership without discussing the
issue with Head Office and receiving the prior approval of the Executive Council.

e. Educational and training requirements
The Executive Council will discuss the additional training needs arising from the
approach set out here. In particular we will need to review the content and
effectiveness of current training for Brigade Organisers.

f. Resources and support
If this campaign is to be successful, it will require resources. The Executive Council is
fully aware of the stresses and pressures on brigade officials. We shall therefore
explore new ways of providing support. There is already experience in a number of
regions (for example, using ROOT members), which can be drawn on.
Recommendation B: the Executive Council should draw up a detailed Organising
Strategy to address the issues of resources, training and guidance. This should
include ways of measuring success or otherwise and this will require a thorough
mapping of the current strengths and weaknesses of the FBU. Individual committees
of the union will need to ensure that local initiatives and campaigns are conducted in
accordance with this strategy.

4. Building workplace trades unionism

The threats to the future of the FBU are part of a wider challenge facing the entire
trade union movement. The past thirty years have seen a downward trend in the
numbers of workers organised in unions and in the density levels of organisation.
There are currently 6.5m trade union members, half the number in 1979. Overall
trade union density is a quarter of the workforce; in 1979 it was around half of all
workers. The private sector accounts for two in five trade unionists, but density is
15%. Collective bargaining once covered 80% of workplaces; today it covers less
than a quarter. There are still 200,000 workplace trade union reps across the UK,
but this is two-thirds of the previous peak.

Alongside this decline, and a factor in exacerbating it, is the decline in levels of
workplace organisation. Unions have responded to the attacks and challenges of the
past three decades in various ways but in virtually all areas there has been a decline in
the level of workplace organisation. If unions become increasingly remote structures
which simply provides various services to members rather than seeking to organise
workers in their place of work then the future may be extremely bleak. It appears that
this weakness in workplace organisation is a factor in issues such as the turnout in
industrial action ballots, an issue which the Tories have attempted to turn into an
election issue during 2014/15.

The FBU has a strong tradition of workplace organisation although we cannot
afford any complacency. These wider issues facing our movement pose a double
threat to the FBU. If our own level of workplace organisation declines it would
inevitably be reflected in the wider involvement of our members in our campaigning
activities and would inevitably weaken our political, campaigning and bargaining
positions. Equally, if workplace trade unionism continues to decline across the
movement it is difficult to see how the FBU can avoid suffering at least some of the
consequences.

This double threat requires a response on both fronts. Our own organising strategy
needs to address and build for the future of workplace trade unionism in the fire and
rescue service. By building and strengthening the structures and strength of the FBU
we hope to provide examples for other workers to use and build on. At the same
time, the FBU needs to be part of the drive to reinvigorate trade unionism more widely
by supporting and encouraging the building of workplace trade unionism everywhere.
We need to explain to FBU members that when we support other groups of workers -
whether blacklisted construction workers or low paid cleaners fighting for union
recognition – we are securing our own future.

Recommendation C: The Executive Council should discuss with others in the labour
movement the issue of maintaining, defending and developing workplace trade
unionism and how such an approach fits with the fight against austerity, privatisation,
falling living standards etc. where appropriate this should include joint educational
initiatives, campaigns and conferences.