Who's Telling The Truth?

The London Fire Brigade has tabled proposals to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) to alter the working patterns of firefighters. The controversial proposals which were first announced back in 2005 have caused much anxiety among the workforce, and the FBU has said it will ballot for industrial action if new working patterns are introduced without agreement. However, the union has also given a commitment to get involved in the negotiation process, in an attempt to reach a sensible resolution and avert the need for an industrial dispute.

While the brigade says publicly that it wishes to reach a collective agreement with the FBU, union officials are sceptical, pointing out that the brigades negotiators have not shifted their position in four years, despite their proposals being opposed by 98% of firefighters.

On 4 May 2010, a delegation of Fire Brigades Union (FBU) officials attended London Fire Brigade headquarters for a meeting to discuss the proposals. The union was keen to ensure its members views on the subject were heard loud and clear. However, the meeting came to an abrupt halt when brigade managers objected to the inclusion of a member of the unions negotiating team. The brigade said that, as the official concerned Paul Embery was currently suspended from his duties as a firefighter, owing to an incident involving the controversial chair of the fire authority, Councillor Brian Coleman, they would not take part in a face-to-face meeting with him.

In response, the FBU pointed out that nothing had been proved against Mr Embery, and, irrespective of his suspension, he remained an employee of the London Fire Brigade and an elected official of the union, thereby meeting the criteria necessary to represent FBU members in talks. Mr Embery had been a chief negotiator on working patterns for four years, and it was deeply inappropriate for the brigade to seek to remove him from the discussions. It was for the unions own members, not brigade managers, to decide who they wanted to represent them.




Brigade managers refused to budge, and effectively collapsed the negotiating process. The FBU said it was deeply disappointed that the brigade had decided to boycott negotiations on such a crucial matter, and their actions showed that their claims to want a collective agreement were completely hollow. The union will now consult with its members about its next steps.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Union
• Street
• 4th
• May
• 2010

[expatbrit1]

They are selling you out for corprate profit -see AssetCo who signed a 400 million pound 20 yr contract with Ondon Fire and EMergency Planning Auth and another 80 mill one with Lincln Fire and Rescue-they will most lkely replace british fmen with low paid foreign wrkers (maybe Poles) & what should have gone for salary will now be profit for shareholders (maybe some mps have shares ) and bonuses for the top few and the cost to you will be the same or more. SUPPORT THE FIREMEN FOR YOUR OWN SAKE

[999WMFS2]

The government and the chair... off the idividual fire services sucks! they dont know how to run fire services/brigade ad putting the communities lives at risk ad losing jobs 4 those who work hard 4 the communities, it should be left with the chief fire officers to decide changes for the idividual organisations for every fire services ad how it is run, thats how it should be ad not the government or the chair....