FIREFIGHTERS’ leaders are meeting this week to discuss an industrial action ballot over the government’s attack on their members’ pensions.
The FBU is being told that it must accept the latest offer or else, and that a decision to hold a ballot will be met with the original employers’ proposals being reinstated.
In a circular to members at the end of last week, Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack informed them that the FBU Executive Council met in June and took the decision not to recommend acceptance of the latest proposal to members…
‘Employers and government have already started sending out their own interpretation of what the proposal could mean.
‘What is immediately recognisable however is the lack of any detail in important areas where we need absolute clarity on what this could mean to you.
‘Some areas have been clarified further … Other areas of the proposal are far less detailed and are open to interpretation and change.
‘For example CLG (Department of Communities and Local Government) are suggesting that the employee contributions in the 2015 scheme may be on average 12.6% in 2015, 12.7% in 2016 and 12.8% in 2017.
‘This does seem to propose a lower contribution rate than the 13.2% initially suggested but it should be viewed with extreme caution.
‘It outlines that an average of all firefighter scheme contributions will be used to arrive at the rate for the 2015 scheme.
‘What this means in real terms is that to achieve these lower rates there must be a full increase in the NFPS and FPS contribution rates in 2014.
‘If we are successful in influencing the consultation and achieve any reduction in the 2014 increases, the proposed 2015 rates suggested will have to be increased to take account of this. This is yet another example of where any improvement to one is offset by a detrimental change to another.
‘The other key area of concern relates to the issue of “no job no pension”. The employer wants firefighters to have fitness tests, on the basis of three strikes and you are out. You will then only receive the Firefighters Pension Scheme at the state retirement age.
‘The latest offer seems to suggest that the Fire Minister is content to establish a Joint Working Party with the employers to examine some of the workforce management issues we have raised.
‘This suggested group, along with other vague proposals, has been introduced at the 11th hour, with no detail, in a letter that requests the agreement of the FBU to it without any further modification of the 2015 scheme before 12 July 2013.
‘The Fire Minister Brandon Lewis has now given us an ultimatum that if we do not agree these in full by 12 July 2013 or if we initiate a ballot these latest proposals will be removed …
‘The Executive Council has already decided that the latest proposals cannot be recommended and Conference has previously given us a mandate for industrial action.’
