FTHE MAGAZINEIR OF THE FIRE BRIGADESEF UNION | JUNE/JULYIG 2020 HTER WE REMEMBER FIREFIGHTERS’ MEMORIAL DAY FIRE SERVICE NEEDS SEE P8 INVESTMENT, NOT CUTS SEE P4 THE BARBARITY OF GRENFELL SEE P12 FIREFIGHTING THE VIRUS SEE P16 GENERAL SECRETARY’S COMMENT MATT WRACK OUR MEMBERS HAVE PLAYED THEIR PART. THANK YOU When the last issue of Firefighter was published we had just completed negotiations on a national agreement that would allow firefighters to respond to the coronavirus crisis. Now, three months on, we have seen the agreement bear fruit with fire and rescue services all over the UK taking on additional activities to support their communities. FBU members have been assisting with moving bodies, driving ambulances, delivering essentials to vulnerable people, and doing their bit to transport millions of pieces of PPE to Honouring the fallen: firefighters the NHS and care frontline. in Telford, Shropshire, and, After further discussions below, Matt Wrack lays a wreath with national employers at the National Firefighters’ and the National Fire Memorial at St Paul’s Chiefs Council, we have agreed to extend the national agreement until THOMAS MARK Grenfell Tower fire. For Earlier in May we also 15 July, pending a further those who survived and filed court proceedings extension to 26 August. lost loved ones, I cannot against the UK government I want to thank all imagine how difficult those over the withholding of our members who have three years have been. pension improvements. And played their part so far. The FBU will be taking on the subject of pensions, special steps to acknowledge we are also encouraging REMEMBERING THE FALLEN the anniversary in a video members to submit their The beginning of May saw which brings together both age discrimination pension the FBU mark Firefighters’ firefighters and residents. claims before 30 June. Memorial Day, albeit it in We are also issuing a set of unusual circumstances. demands to the Westminster BLACK LIVES MATTER As a result of the government which has I was disgusted at the death pandemic and the associated done very little to address of George Floyd at the hands social distancing measures, the building safety crisis in of the Minneapolis police the public ceremonies that the days, months and years department. It was sadly we have become used to Dowgate fire stations. This since the Grenfell disaster. another abhorrent example attending were unable to was live-streamed to FBU of police brutality that has take place. This meant members and the public PAY AND PENSIONS claimed so many black lives. marking the day in new across social media. The beginning of June saw We have offered our and innovative ways. ● Read more on the FBU begin official pay solidarity with those At the National pages 8 to 11. negotiations with employers. protesting against racism Firefighters Memorial at St Via video-conference across the Atlantic, and also Paul’s in London, I was able GRENFELL we made the case for an with our black and minority to lay a wreath on behalf As I write this, we are just immediate and substantial ethnic brothers and sisters of our union alongside one day away from marking increase to our members’ pay. in the UK who are also crews from Shoreditch and the third anniversary of the Negotiations are ongoing. fighting for equal treatment. 2 FIREFIGHTER | JUNE/JULY 2020 16 CONTENTS JUNE/JULY 2020 NEWS REGULARS 4 Invest, don’t cut, FBU 5 Sounding off tells governments The new world is up for grabs 5 FBU demands immediate 7 News focus and substantial pay rise; Grenfell: government Union condemns inaction risks disaster George Floyd murder 6 Unions take government to 20 Equalities court over pensions benefits A tribute to Helen Harrison 21 Legal Beagle FEATURES Health and safety rights 8 Firefighters’ Memorial Day during the pandemic – still more to do on safety 22 Noticeboard 12 Grenfell: the barbarity Heat injury prevention of modern capitalism awareness course 16 Firefighting the virus for all members 18 Robert Owen: a man 23 Station Cat ahead of his time Firefighters’ pay around the world 24 25 year badges 5 FIREFIGHTER Published by the Fire Brigades Union Bradley House, 68 Coombe Road Kingston upon Thames KT2 7AE www.fbu.org.uk Cover image: Mark Thomas Firefighter production team: Tom Colclough, Anna Zych, Lisa Irving and Alan Slingsby Print: Walstead UK, Storey’s Bar Road, Peterborough PE1 5YS Firefighter is mailed in a 100% compostable wrapper. Please do not recycle the wrapper but dispose of it in your home compost heap, your garden waste or food waste bin. JUNE/JULY 2020 | FIREFIGHTER 3 GRENFELL INACTION VIDEO GOES GLOBAL Union condemns Video of firefighters failure to honour singing a song cladding removal of solidarity from pledge p7 lockdown has been a NEWS social media hit p6 ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/GETTY Firefighters use anti-bacterial wipes to clean a fire engine after a call to a wildfire in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire FBU CALLS FOR INVESTMENT IN FIRE SERVICE AND END TO CUTS FIRE COVER using a different system, show similar cutting 10 fire engines, 30 wholetime cuts from 2011 to 2015. firefighters and 60 retained firefighters. The FBU has called for a moratorium Firefighters have taken on 14 new More than 23,000 people have signed on cuts to fire services across the UK in areas of work to help their communities a petition calling for a stop to the cuts, a letter to the prime minister and first through the crisis, including helping while over 1,800 people have written ministers of the devolved nations. to stem the spread of infection in care to Roy Galley, the chair of the fire In the letter, the union criticises the homes, driving ambulances, and moving authority, to share their concerns over lack of preparation for the COVID-19 dead bodies. the proposals. pandemic and cuts to the fire service Matt Wrack, FBU general The campaign has gained cross-party over the last 15 years. It warns the secretary, said: “This crisis has shown support, with Labour MP Lloyd politicians not to allow plans to be drawn how important it is to invest in our Russell-Moyle and Conservative MP up that would reduce vital fire cover public services. Maria Caulfield joining forces to oppose during or after the crisis. “When our communities have needed the cuts. Lloyd Russell-Moyle also Instead, the FBU has called on support, it’s firefighters who have challenged Prime Minster Boris Johnson ministers to invest in the service for stepped up to help out. over the cuts at Prime Minister’s the future. “There are foreseeable risks that Questions on 3 June. The fire service has experienced could cause our next major national Elliot Parry, East Sussex FBU brigade brutal cuts over the last 15 years, most emergency – and when that happens, secretary, said: “We would like to strikingly since the start of austerity we need a properly funded fire service extend our gratitude to everyone who’s in 2010. to respond. supported us so far in this campaign. The most recent local government “The government must invest in our These cuts will cost lives and must not funding settlement figures show that public services, now and for the future.” go ahead. central funding for fire services in The letter comes as East Sussex Fire “Together, we can stop these unsafe England has been cut by 30% since Authority is consulting on plans to make plans and protect residents and our 2013-14. National Audit Office figures, drastic cuts to its fire service, including fire service.” 4 FIREFIGHTER | JUNE/JULY 2020 SOUNDING OFF FBU DEMANDS IMMEDIATE Ali Milani, a Labour councillor in Hillingdon West London, who stood AND SUBSTANTIAL PAY RISE against Boris Johnson in the 2019 general election, on the AT VIRTUAL NEGOTIATIONS personal cost, and political opportunities for socialist PAY calculating inflation, the consumer price index (CPI). ideas created by Covid-19 The FBU called on employers to The union has previously said implement an “immediate and that any agreement on broadening substantial increase” in pay for firefighters’ roles would need to account A NEW WORLD WILL firefighters and control staff, as negotia- for pay lost over the past decade. tions commenced by video conference. Broadening the role discussions were BE UP FOR GRABS On 13 March my father was diagnosed Representing the employees’ side paused last year following uncertainty with Covid-19 and just eight days later at the National Joint Council (NJC), regarding the timing of central he had passed away. A disease, which which negotiates pay in the fire and government’s spending review. three months prior we had never heard rescue service, the FBU demanded A pay settlement for 2020 is due by of, had brought tragedy to our family. action to tackle a decade of austerity 1 July. As Firefighter went to press, pay and government pay freezes that have negotiations were ongoing. While coronavirus took many of reduced firefighter pay. As with previous years, any pay us by surprise, the truth is it was the Firefighter pay has been cut agreement reached after the 1 July most predictable crisis in the world. by £4,091 in real terms, using the deadline is expected to be backdated to For many years the World Health government’s preferred method of that date. Organisation had been warning world leaders of a crisis just like this. ISABEL INFANTES/PA IMAGES ISABEL INFANTES/PA Our unpreparedness and subsequent disastrous handling of this crisis has meant pain for so many families like mine. Boris Johnson’s government failed its test. We enforced lockdown too late, avoided quaran- tining flights until months in, failed NHS workers on PPE and resisted calls for a “test and trace” system at the time it was needed.