ESTABLISHED 1918 JOURNAL OF THE FIRE BRIGADES UNION F ir e F ig h t e r VOL 27 NO. 8 OCTOBER 1999 2 ONE HOUR’S PAY COULD SAVE A CHILD AVE the Children UK — the UK’s leading inter­ For example, £5 could pay to vaccinate a child in national children’s charity — is launching a new Burkina Faso against seven potentially fatal childhood dis­ Sfundraising appeal called ‘One in a Millennium’. eases, £12 could provide a year’s basic education for a Employees from across the UK are being asked to donate Sudanese child displaced by war and £38 could buy an arti­ just one hour’s pay from this millennium to help children ficial limb for a child injured by a landmine in Mozambique. living in the next. By donating just one hour’s pay to ‘One in a Millennium’ Save the Children supports projects in over 65 countries, you can make a special gift to the world’s children. Please including the UK; every pound raised through ‘One in a call Joan Smith or Selina Fairclough on 0171-703 5400 to Millennium’ really can make a difference. find out more. The following letter in support o f the cause is written by Adam Faith: Dear Editor WONDER how many readers, either employers or the hassle is taken away from you and it gives you the employees, realise how much they can help their chance to show how much your company cares about Ifavourite charity by joining or introducing a Payroll others, to staff, customers and your local community, as Giving Scheme? well as effectively increasing your company’s overall chari­ Payroll giving might not sound exciting, but the results table giving. Additionally, any changes in the administration can be dramatic and far reaching. 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It’s completely free to join, all ADAM FAITH — The Money Channel 3 Comment From your General Secretary INQUIRY TO BE NEXT STEP LL members of the FBU will have proposals for changes to the Grey Book. been following carefully the The Executive Council considered care­ A recent events as they have been fully the proposal of an inquiry and unfolding around the long running dis­ have agreed to participate subject of pute over conditions of service, the course to the terms of reference being Smash and Grab campaign. satisfactory. Since the employers unilaterally sus­ The potential for strike action in GMC pended the National Joint Council and West Yorkshire has, also as a result, machinery, they have been travelling been removed with both respective the country consulting their members employers locally removing their own on how to proceed with the changes proposals. Both ballots, the Executive they wished to implement. They have Council have agreed, will be suspended had to consider how to proceed in the in light of this. I must at this juncture knowledge that as a union we will not place on record the Executive Council’s concede to ‘local flexibility’, as we are thanks and congratulations to the mem­ acutely aware of what the implications bers and officials in both GMC and West of such a move would mean. Yorkshire for producing resounding Throughout this campaign, over nearly ‘YES’ votes in both cases. The employ­ two years, I have repeatedly offered to vice. It must be pointed out that much ers unable to break us down nationally, discuss with the employers the real to the disgust of some at the meeting tried unsuccessfully to break us locally, issues facing the service as we enter the proposal had already been sent to they failed. the next millennium, this they have the Home Secretary, of course we At the time of writing the inquiry and repeatedly declined to do. should not be overly concerned how its exact terms of reference are not The employers have received a they treat each other but it may assist known, but you can rest assured we will mixed reaction from the authorities they some to understand that if that’s how play a constructive and honest role in have visited, crucially many employers they behave to each other then perhaps its work. I feel confident that ‘WE’ can have stated that they do not seek or it may indicate how they can treat us produce plenty of evidence of our will­ understand the need for confrontation too often with little or no respect. ingness to take the service forward and with the FBU, this is to be welcomed. The Home Office Minister in the that during this most recent dispute it You will be aware that the employers House of Lords made a statement on has not been the FBU that has been met as a body on the 12th October to the 14th October, to the effect that confrontational or old fashioned in our consider the way forward. At the meet­ indeed an inquiry would be set up. approach to modern problems and ing they considered a proposal from the Importantly the statement also called issues. LGA group to request to the Home for the lifting of the employers’ suspen­ I of course, will ensure as matters Secretary an independent inquiry into sion of the NJC and even more crucially unfold that all our membership are kept the industrial relations in the fire ser­ that they, the employers, remove their informed. SMASH ’n’ GRAB FIRE BRIGADES UNION SOUTH YORKSHIRE Brigade Officials and Members 9th September 1999 West Yorkshire Fire Service Dear Comrades, Brothers and Sisters, CONDITIONS OF SERVICE Just when you thought it had gone quiet good old Mr. Conlon rears his head and thinks how he can have another go at firefighters. It appears to us that this is part of the plan along with GMC and London, to impose changes in conditions of service at local level. It is imperative that members oppose these changes because of the implications for all firefighters and officers, if employers are able to change conditions without agreement, so much for Conlon’s assurances! Members in South Yorkshire are well aware of the implications if these changes are made, there will be a difference of five days’ annual leave between the two brigades but as stated, the ability of the employers to impose changes is the fundamental issue. We wish you well in your campaign and urge your members to reject the proposals and give the Officials a mandate to initiate strike action should the Fire Authority continue with its plans. We will be consulting with the membership and Fire Authority over the implications for neighbouring South Yorkshire stations should strikes commence in West Yorkshire. I am sure over the next few weeks you will be heavily involved in talking to the membership over the issues, the members in South Yorkshire would wish you to pass on their support for whatever action is necessary to stop the attack on our conditions. Should you require any assistance please contact us and we will do whatever we can to help. Once again, Good Luck in the campaign, Best Wishes to the members in West Yorkshire, Reject the Employers’ proposals. Yours Fraternally, Bob Blackburn Brigade Secretary SMASH ’n’ GRAB FIRE BRIGADES UNION SOUTH YORKSHIRE Brigade Officials, Brothers and Sisters 10th September 1999 Greater Manchester Fire Service Dear Comrades, GMC - EMPLOYERS PROPOSED RESTRUCTURE The members in South Yorkshire wish to convey their support for the action you are taking over the Fire Authority’s proposed restructure of GMC. We know only too well what happens when restructures take place, less personnel doing more work and Senior management taking the credit and extra salary. In South Yorkshire we have been forced into four restructures over the last eight years resulting in a 25 per cent loss in personnel, in all cases the personnel left have been put under extreme pressure resulting in an increase in the number of Officers retiring because of stress related illnesses. The exercise your employers are going through is obviously designed to impose local conditions and practices on the workforce and weaken the Fire Brigades Union.