Emergency resolution: Fire and rescue service pay and conditions

Conference notes the recent developments in relation to firefighters’ pay and conditions, including; 

• The publication of the University of Hertfordshire report on the emergency medical response (EMR) trials on 17 March 2017

• The FBU EMR practitioners’ meeting on 17 March 2017, which discussed FBU officials’ evidence of serious safety, health, mobilisation and other concerns arising from the trials

• The FBU’s recall conference on 21 March 2017, which agreed to extend the EMR trials only with strict conditions

• Correspondence from ministers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with regard to the University of Hertfordshire report

• Initial meetings in April 2017 of the Technical Working Group established by the National Joint Council (NJC) in light of the EMR trial findings

• The conclusion of research by Incomes Data Research (IDR) pay and job evaluation, commissioned by the FBU.

Conference further notes that the recall conference on 21 March agreed that there is “an urgent need to address the very significant concerns and objections identified by FBU members in relation to EMR and wider work considered under these discussions. There is also an urgent need to address the lack of progress on MTFA due to obstacles created by government”.

Conference notes the long term strategic approach developed by the FBU into the widening of the role of professional firefighters, which has been advanced by a number of conference resolutions in recent years and by work such as the five NJC workstreams.

Conference believes that national professional pay and conditions remains at the heart of this approach and that employers and governments are fully aware that there must be progress on fire service pay. The FBU has underlined the importance of the sustainability of this new work, in terms of training and equipment, consistent professional standards and of remuneration. Conference notes that both sides of the NJC have agreed that the development of new work and new roles must be sustainable and that this involves addressing the issue of funding for the long term.

Conference notes that the IDR pay and job evaluation research indicates that over the period since the 2003 pay agreement; 

• Firefighters pay has fallen significantly behind inflation – cutting real living standards 

• This has been exacerbated by increases to pension contributions and national insurance which have also hit the take home pay of FBU members

• There has been a significant widening of the role, skills and expertise in our profession in all roles, wholetime, retained and control members and including middle manager roles

• There are other new skills and wider roles emerging such as EMR and MTFA.

Conference is disappointed to note that;

• There has been no indication from governments and employers so far that significant funding is available for widening firefighters’ roles 

• There has been no indication from governments and employers that long term funding is available for new areas of fire and rescue service work 

• That the NJC Technical Working Group has not yet been able to address the serious safety and operational concerns raised by the independent academic report and by FBU officials with regard to the EMR trials. 

Conference notes that there is currently no mechanism or funding to ensure that the various initiatives around new areas of potential activity (particularly around EMR and MTFA) are sustainable for the fire and rescue service over the long term. This is a matter the employers must urgently address.

Conference notes that the NJC meeting on 1 June 2017 and the pay settlement due on 1 July 2017, will be pivotal for the direction of this work. There is no agreement for any extension of the new work. Any request by the employers for any such extension must address the issues already raised by the FBU around professional standards, sustainability and pay.

Conference instructs the Executive Council to submit a pay claim for the full range of work carried out by firefighters, utilising the research the union has commissioned from professional sources. The pay claim, for all NJC roles, should address;

1. Pay to catch up for loss of earnings since the imposition of the pay cap

2. Pay for the additional work done since 2003 and quantified by the job evaluation research

3. The need for pay to address any broadening of the role maps or broadening of the work required of FBU members by their employer, which may include emerging potential new areas of work such as EMR and MTFA 

4. The need to address the retaining fee and other areas of concern affecting retained firefighters

5. The need to address the various concerns of emergency fire control members of the FBU

6. A pay formula for ensuring that firefighters do not fall behind in real and/or relative terms in the future.

Conference remains of the view that the discussions around the five workstreams are an important attempt to address the broadening role of the fire and rescue service and that these discussions should continue.

In relation specifically to the NJC EMR trials, Conference instructs the Executive Council to raise the concerns of the FBU at the NJC meeting in June 2017 and during discussions in respect of the pay settlement due on 1 July 2017, and to agree no further extension of the trials unless the concerns expressed above are addressed.