FIREFIGHTERS taking strike action this weekend are angry that a leaked letter reveals that the government consciously provoked the action rather than negotiate new proposals.
Fire Minister Brandon Lewis has alternative pension proposals ready but failed to provide them to the Fire Brigades Union, the letter reveals. His letter to fire authority chairs describes how the government has had fully-costed alternatives ready since 19 March, but instead prefers to provoke further firefighter strikes and blame the FBU for walking away from negotiations.
Firefighters called new dates for industrial action after three months of intensive discussions with the Department of Communities and Local Government failed to result in any change in proposals from government.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said yesterday: ‘We’re astonished that the government would allow strikes to continue, when for over a month they have been sitting on proposals that might point the way towards a solution. The ball is once again firmly in their court.
‘Nevertheless firefighters simply want a workable pension scheme and an end to this dispute, and the existence of such proposals gives us hope that an end might be in sight. These strikes have only resumed because of a complete absence of proposals from government.
‘Rather than speculate on the motivations for their behaviour, now that we know costed proposals exist, we call on the minister to send us proposals without any further delay.’
Meanwhile, firefighters have expressed their ‘extreme concern’ over Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service’s plans for this weekend’s strikes. Firefighters are walking out for three periods across the country over the weekend over ‘unsafe, unfair and unworkable’ pensions proposals by central government.
However, senior managers of the brigade in Buckinghamshire have decided to effectively ‘lock out’ striking firefighters from fire stations for their whole shifts, meaning the county will be unnecessarily without most of its fire and rescue workforce for the duration.
Steve Allen, chair of the Fire Brigades Union’s southern region, said: ‘Local firefighters are extremely worried about the implications of this nonsensical and unnecessary decision for our members and the communities of Buckinghamshire.
‘Firefighters are striking very reluctantly over central government’s attacks on our pensions and it would be awful if the behaviour of the local brigade meant that a local dispute erupted too, but we won’t be bullied.’
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, who visited picket lines in Buckinghamshire yesterday, said: ‘Common sense must prevail, and Buckinghamshire’s chief officer needs to understand that our members will not be intimidated.
‘It’s remarkable that both the government and the fire service employers have remained silent on this worrying issue. Westminster needs to realise that this action by one rogue employer risks escalating the scale of industrial action across the country and threatens the safety agreements we have reached nationally.’