The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) yesterday expressed ‘deep concern’ over secret plans to hire Group 4 private strike breakers in a £100m contract.
A FBU spokesman told News Line: ‘On Friday, representatives from 33 fire and rescue services in England and Wales met in London.
‘Disputes in the fire service are almost always caused by cuts in services to save mainly small amounts of money.
‘This money would be far better spent in providing services than on private strike breakers.
‘We’re surprised that the government is now concerned at a lack of firefighters causing a problem when they have been responsible for cutting firefighters’ posts.
‘It is absurd they should think a solution is bringing in a company like Group 4.
‘This is a project that has been kept under wraps.
‘Many people in the fire service have deep concerns about it.
‘The vast majority of fire authorities who have been attending these meetings have never, ever had a local dispute.’
The FBU spokesman warned: ‘There is no question at all that this type of operation can be expanded to cover almost any public service dispute, and the private sector, such as gas and electricity companies.’
FBU London regional official Paul Embery told News line: ‘We did hear some months ago they were putting together some sort of contingency plans.
‘This is provocative. It is not as if there have been many disputes in the fire service over the past couple of years.
‘Instead of spending millions on scab outfits, they should properly address the issues that provoke disputes in the first place.’
The Civil Contingencies Act makes it a duty of emergency services to put in place ‘business continuity’ arrangements to prepare for the event of industrial action or a major emergency.
A leaked framework document, drawn up by the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) and the government, says that ‘it cannot be assumed that the Armed Forces will be available to provide cover in the event of industrial action by firefighters’.
Greater Manchester chief fire officer, Barry Dixon, said after Friday’s meeting: ‘The pressure on the military is such that we can’t rely on them. This is a difficult decision, but we do need to have business continuity provision.’
Arrangements dubbed ‘Operation Fireguard’ contract Group 4 Security to supply emergency service personnel at times of crisis.
The document states that Group 4 ‘could be called on in scenarios such as pandemic flu, industrial action, or as a result of a catastrophic incident or natural disaster’.
The Brown government, via its COBRA emergency committee, is also preparing to utilise the private sector to replace military personnel offering cover during strike action by fuel tanker drivers.
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack attacked plans to recruit retired fire-fighters.
He said: ‘It’s a privatised Dad’s Army training for the battle that never comes. If the real army had not been cut back so much, this would not be happening.’
He added: ‘If the government ploughed millions into cash-starved fire services, there wouldn’t be disputes in the first place.’