Firefighters in Hertfordshire are to vote on strike action against plans to axe job losses and close fire stations, Hertfordshire FBU has announced.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said Tuesday that up to 700 of its members will vote over the next two weeks.
The FBU is furious at Hertfordshire County Council plans to close Radlett and Bovingdon part-time stations, which will result in 50 job cuts.
Industrial action could begin in early May.
Hertfordshire fire crews earlier condemned the decision to press ahead with cuts and station closures as ‘a stab in the back’.
They said the decision was a bad day for the public and the fire service.
The FBU says the cuts approved will mean:
Cuts at nights and weekends, fewer rescue appliances, fewer firefighters on fire engines and a longer wait for crews to arrive to 999 calls.
It will lead to the loss of 50 frontline firefighters, the closure of Radlett and Bovingdon stations and downgrading of cover at Watford and Royston.
Stevenage Hemel Hempstead and St Albans would lose a total of 12 frontline posts and five command and control officer posts would also go. Almost all of the stations were among the first to respond to the Buncefield fire.
Tony Smith, vice-chair of Herts FBU said of last week’s decision: ‘This is dreadful news for the Herts fire and rescue service.
‘These cuts will impact on public safety and our safety.
‘They queued up to praise us after Buncefield. This time they queued up to stab us in the back.
‘There is genuine and deep felt anger among fire crews.
‘The public do not support these cuts and they will be baffled they have been given the green light.
‘These cuts will rip the heart out of the Hertfordshire fire and rescue service.
‘We will be responding more slowly to 999 calls with fewer firefighters and with less rescue equipment available.
‘That’s why the vast majority of professionals in the Hertfordshire fire service oppose these cuts.’
Meanwhile, the national Fire Brigades Union has revealed the results of its recall conference which have been kept secret for over two weeks.
The conference, which was not reported by the press, took place last March 22nd.
The FBU statement says: ‘Delegates at the FBU recall conference last Wednesday 22 March agreed not to launch a strike ballot to oppose the ODPM’s (Office of Deputy Prime Minister) proposals on firefighters’ pensions but vowed to continue pressing for improvements to FBU members’ pensions.
‘The recall conference made it clear it did not support the ODPM’s revised proposals but agreed that they represented the best achievable pension arrangements for FBU members at this time.
‘It also decided that should current negotiations with the ODPM to grant access to the new Firefighters Pensions Scheme for Emergency Fire Control Staff break down or fail to produce a result that is satisfactory, then the Executive Council would meet immediately to discuss the launch of a ballot for strike action.
‘Furthermore, delegates agreed that the Union would campaign against the detrimental proposals contained with the draft Guidance for Selected Independent Qualified Medical Practitioners (IQMPs) undertaking an assessment to determine permanent disablement for role and capacity for regular work and demanded that the FBU be included in any consultation/negotiation of the final document.
‘Should these negotiations break down or fail to produce a result that is satisfactory, then the Executive Council would immediately discuss the launch of a ballot for strike action.
‘The other areas the union would keep campaigning on are:
‘Ill-health retirements;
‘New FPS retirement age of 60;
‘Transitional period between existing FPS being withdrawn for new entrants and the New FPS being put in place.’
Following the conference FBU General Secretary Matt Wrack said: ‘FBU members have debated this issue throughout the UK.
‘The decision of the conference means that there will not be a ballot for strike action on the issue of pensions.
‘We have made some progress on a number of issues in relation to the Firefighters Pension Scheme including the withdrawal of the threat to increase the minimum retirement age for current members.
‘Nevertheless pensions will continue to be a key issue for us – as it always has been.
‘We will continue to campaign for improvements to the new scheme, such as a reduction in the normal retirement age.
‘We will continue to campaign on the issue of ill-health retirements.
‘We will be monitoring the changing costs very closely and will argue that any savings made should be used to fund improvements.’
The following two resolutions were passed at the conference:
Emergency Resolution 1
‘Conference applauds all FBU members and officials for their participation in the campaign to defend pension rights and notes that a number of improvements have been achieved on the proposals for pensions.
‘Conference accepts that the ODPM’s revised proposals represent the best achievable pension arrangements for FBU members at this time and agrees that a ballot for strike action does not take place.
‘However, conference also notes the talks currently taking place at the ODPM to grant access to the new Firefighters Pensions Scheme for Emergency Fire Control Staff. If these talks should break down or should fail to produce a result that is satisfactory, Conference instructs the Executive Council to meet immediately to discuss the launch of a ballot for strike action.’
(Proposed by Executive Council, Seconded by Northern Ireland)
Emergency Resolution 2
‘Conference accepts that the ODPM’s revised proposals represent the best achievable pension arrangements for FBU members at this time and agrees that a ballot for strike action does not take place.
‘However, Conference notes that the Guidance for Selected Independent Qualified Medical Practitioners (IQMPs) undertaking an assessment to determine permanent disablement for role and capacity for regular work is still in draft form.
‘Conference demands that the FBU must be included in any consultation/negotiation of the final document, and campaigns in opposition to the detrimental proposals contained within the draft.
‘If negotiations should break down or should fail to produce a result that is satisfactory, Conference instructs the Executive Council to meet immediately to discuss the launch of a ballot for strike action.’
(Northamptonshire, Seconded by Derbyshire).
The March 22nd conference decision not to fight two-tier pensions saw the FBU break ranks with local government workers. Firefighters did not take part in the magnificent 1.5 million strong national strike last Tuesday March 28.
This FBU decision was prepared by the decision of the February 16th recall conference, which refused to back FBU strike action on March 28th, in favour of ‘further consultation with the membership’.
Many FBU members were acutely disappointed and even ashamed that their conference decided that Prescott’s offer was the best available and therefore not to fight.
Clearly a new leadership is required in the FBU that shows confidence in the membership, is prepared to fight, and is prepared to defeat the Blair government to win the fight.
This means building a leadership that will mobilise with the rest of the working class to bring down the Blair-Brown government and go forward to a workers government.