THE threat of a national firefighters’ strike next month was lifted yesterday after union leaders struck a deal with employers over bank holiday working.
The agreement, which was brokered by the Trades Union Congress, will allow firefighters to receive their two final pay increases, worth 7.7 per cent, which had been delayed because of the dispute.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) suspended a strike ballot, due to be completed next week, after a joint meeting with local government employers. Troops who had started training to take over from the firefighters in the event of a strike were due to be sent back to their barracks.
Both sides conceded that the dispute had escalated out of all proportion after allegations that the Government wanted to make political capital over a row with unions.
Negotiations between the two sides broke down this month after the unions claimed that employers had turned a shambles into a crisis after a deal was scuppered at the last minute.
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The FBU had wanted firefighters to continue to do only limited work on the eight public holidays, but the employers wanted firefighters to carry out the duties of a normal working day because they were being paid double time and had a day off in lieu.
The compromise, which was negotiated by Brendan Barber, the TUC General Secretary, will technically allow fire chiefs to dictate what work they expect their brigades to do on public holidays.
The form of words agreed explicitly recognises, however, that bank holidays are different from normal weekdays, with limited access to buildings and services: “It is recognised that because of the distinctive circumstances that apply throughout local communities on public holidays, with many businesses and services for example not working normally, the demands on the fire and rescue service and the consequent mix of appropriate duties will be different to those on normal working days.”
Local arrangements will be settled after consultation and employers will honour double time and a day off in lieu.
John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, said: “These negotiations were the responsibility of the employers and the FBU, but I have been kept in close touch with developments. At their request I did meet both the FBU and representatives of the employers earlier this month and I am glad they have reached agreement.”
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The employers announced yesterday that the two outstanding payments of 3.5 per cent backdated to last November and 4.2 per cent backdated to last month would now be sent out to firefighters.
The two rises, which will put qualified firefighters on a salary of £25,000, are the final payments of the two-year, 16 per cent pay deal thrashed out in July 2003 after a nine-month dispute over fire service modernisation. The 4.2 per cent backdated rise is linked to verification by the Audit Commission that the fire service had modernised its working conditions in line with the 2003 agreement.
The employers paid tribute to Mr Barber. “Today’s agreement signals the beginning of a new era for the UK’s fire and rescue service,” a Local Government Association spokesman said. “Significant pay increases for staff have been delivered in exchange for service improvement that will deliver a more appropriate, better resourced and inclusive service focused on preventing the loss of life.”
Mr Barber said: “The task now for all sides will be to put the tensions of the dispute behind them so that everyone involved in the fire and rescue service can concentrate on what they do best: delivering a first-class service to British people.”
THE AGREEMENT
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Firefighters will continue to receive double time and a day off in lieu for working on Bank Holidays. Fire chiefs will be able to dictate locally the work they expect their brigades to carry out.