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Gov Claims Full Compliance With National Fire And Rescue Framework Despite FBU Strikes The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 requires the Secretary of State to report every 2 years on fire and rescue authorities’ compliance with the National Framework. This year's bi-annual report was published on 3 July. Today in a 2 page written statement to parliament, The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles Mp, claimed the report gave the government a picture of full compliance. The statement made no mention of course of the industrial upheavel within the Fire and Rescue Service created by the government's demands on millions of pounds of cuts and creeping privatisation of the service.
'Compliance with the Framework demonstrates that the government’s high level expectations are being fully met.' More of the same cost-cutting mentality is promised: 'Despite this excellent news, the public rightly expects fire and rescue authorities to continue to strive for excellence, and to demonstrate the best possible value for money.' But with the government policy of shredding the Fire Fighters pensions and making them work until 60 and facing financial penalties if their fitness drops (as it does in any human being reachign that age), their union the FBU, have called limited strikes whioch are now taking place for two or four hours every day between Monday 14 July and Tuesday 22 July: 32 hours in total as the union attempts to minimise disruption to union members and the public. However, the local authorities are in some cases, using this as an excuse to increase the safety risk to the public in an attempt to allow the media to blame the fire fighters, if and when someone is injured or killed. A prime example of this is locking out striking firefighters for the whole of their shift and not allowing them to complete their shifts following their two hour walk out. this is the action being taken by Buckinghamshire Fire Authority. Whilst Buckinghamshire is the only fire service in the entire country to make the decision, and the FBU says it has lead to significantly reduced fire cover across the county; the fear is that other's will follow as the dispute draws on. Firefighters are striking for eight consecutive days this week in their long-running dispute with central government over attacks on their pensions they say are unfair, unworkable and unaffordable. Steve Allen, FBU chair for the union’s southern region, said: “This wholly unnecessary decision will directly impact upon the safety of the public in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. “It is a vindictive action by an employer to punish their local firefighters for participating in lawful strike action. We’re appealing to the fire authority and Mr Jones himself to apply common sense and let firefighters do their job.” The fire authority action goes against the guidance from the National Fire and Rescue Service Employers who advised all fire and rescue services to allow firefighters to work and be paid for the rest of their shifts. This reality of course makes the written statement to parliament by Eric Pickles worthless at best and a misrepresentation of the facts at worst. Source: Gov.UK / Unionsafety / FBU You can read for yourself, the written statement here It also remains available for future download from the E-Library Database The FBU's website can be accessed here for further information and updates. See also: Ministerial Pensions “Colossal” Compared To Firefighters’ Says FBU |
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Indeed, in a statement that some would argue is further from the truth than the Moon is to the Earth, Eric Pickles highlights the cost savings identified in the Government commissioned review of the Fire and Rescue services entitled, 'Facing The Future'; as if it is they alone that inform the glowing statement: