FBU DeHavilland Report 28/03/11

  Weekly FBU Report Monday, 28 March 2011 Mentions Fire Services Northern Ireland Assembly Northern Ireland Assembly – Committee for Social Development Northern Ireland Assembly – Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety Political Party Press Releases John McDonnell – Budget for big business   Fire Services   Westminster Committees House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee – FiReControl: Government Response to the Committee’s Fifth Report of Session 2009–2010 House of Commons Early Day Motions and Petitions New EDM 1654 – West Midlands Firefighters in Japan House of Commons Questions Mactaggart – Fire Services (liaison with other other blue-light responders) House of Lords Condon – Japan (UK assistance following earthquake)     Regions…

Fire cuts hit the North East hard, says Fire Brigades Union

FIRE BRIGADES UNION NORTH EAST Cleveland, Durham & Darlington, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear 23 March 2011   Fire cuts hit the North East hard, says Fire Brigades Union   120 North East firefighters are travelling to London on the 26th March after the Fire Brigades Union revealed that the North East region will be amongst the hardest hit by cuts to the fire and rescue service (FRS).   The FBU has discovered that the fire service in Cleveland, Durham & Darlington, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear face at least £6.6m cuts in the next year alone, among the worst hit in the country. Some 120 (the same size as the delegation to London) frontline…

FURTHER DETAILS ON THE HUTTON REVIEW ON PENSIONS

  FURTHER DETAILS ON THE HUTTON REVIEW ON PENSIONS   Members will be aware that the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission: Final Report was published and made available from 10th March 2011.  Head Office circular 2011HOC0117MW was issued later the same day, outlining the main concerns for FBU members and informing them that a more detailed assessment of the full Hutton report would be taking place.   We have been looking at the report in more detail and can now give a clearer overview of what the proposals, if accepted by Government, could mean.   Members should recognise that, in the document, Hutton makes the assumption that the Government has already accepted that Consumer Prices…

PART TIME WORKERS SETTLEMENT – AGREEMENT REACHED

PART-TIME WORKERS SETTLEMENT – AGREEMENT REACHED   Agreement has now been reached on the changes to the NJC Conditions of Service (Grey Book) to implement the successful FBU legal case to ensure that all retained firefighters are recognised and rewarded as part-time workers.  The terms of the settlement also includes a financial award to all “eligible employees”.   A copy of the relevant NJC circulars can be found at www.fbu.org.uk   At this stage, Fire and Rescue Authorities are carrying out a data collection process in order to calculate the payment for each eligible person. Further details on the arrangements for receiving the financial award will follow shortly.   Best wishes.   Yours fraternally  …

Berkshire FBU Members Join TUC March Against Cuts

Immediate Release -22nd March 2011     Berkshire FBU Members Join TUC March Against Cuts     Fire Brigades Union members from across Berkshire will be heading for London this Saturday (26th March) to add their voice to the call to halt damaging cuts that are being inflicted on public services across the country by the conservative led government austerity measures.   Fifty Berkshire FBU members will join tens of thousands of  people from across the UK to show support for all areas of the public sector that are being devastated by job losses and cuts to the essential services they provide.   The march commences on Victoria Embankment at 11am and proceeds to Hyde…

Suffolk Fire Cuts – Public Safety At Risk

Suffolk Fire Cuts – Public Safety At Risk The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) today highlights another cut to Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service which is putting lives at risk.   Prevention is better than the cure, and that is why fire safety legislation has been written to prevent the repeat of such disasters as the Bradford City fire which claimed 56 lives.   Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service has a Fire Safety Department that supports those managing businesses and public buildings to comply with the regulations and to protect the public from fire disasters.   But Suffolk County Council’s proposals this year will mean fire safety inspections to premises such as workplaces, schools, hospitals, care…

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR A NEW STRATEGY FOR THE REGULATION OF HEALTH & SAFETY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR A NEW STRATEGY FOR THE REGULATION OF HEALTH & SAFETY The Government today (21st March 11) announced a new strategy for the regulation of health and safety. This will include a further review of regulation which will be led by Ragnar Lofstedt, Professor of risk management at Kings College London.   It has also announced that proactive inspections by the HSE will be reduced by a third and that “low risk” businesses will therefore have no proactive inspection regime. The Minister also confirmed that the HSE will introduce fees for any further work in those businesses where inspections have highlighted breaches of the law.   Below is the announcement made by the Minister…

FBU DeHavilland Report 21/03/11

DeHavilland Report – Fire Brigades Union Monday, 21 March 2011 Mentions No relevant items Fire Services House of Commons Early Day Motions and Petitions EDM 1616 – British Firefighters in Japan (updated) House of Commons Questions Ainsworth, B – Fire and rescue authorities (finance) Cunningham, Jim – Emergency Services House of Lords Hunt of Chesterton – Fire Safety Regions Wales Welsh Assembly Government – Welsh Fire and Rescue Services join Japanese relief efforts   Mentions No relevant items Fire Services House of Commons Early Day Motions and Petitions   EDM 1616 – British Firefighters in Japan (updated) Wed, 16 March 2011 | House of Commons – Early Day Motion Summary The following EDM was tabled…

Letter to the PM

THE FIRE BRIGADES UNION MEDIA RELEASE: 22 March 2011   The Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack today appealed to the Prime Minister to ban a company which has a contract with the UAE military from working for the London and Lincolnshire fire brigades. Dear Prime Minister Given your proper concern to see democracy triumph throughout the Middle East, you should be made aware that AssetCo, the company which owns and maintains the fire engines in London and Lincolnshire, also has a contract with the military in the United Arab Emirates, whose forces are now assisting the ruling family to suppress pro-democracy protests in Bahrain. The clampdown in Bahrain has resulted in a significant…

FIRE CREWS ACROSS EAST ANGLIA TO DEMONSTRATE AGAINST 10% CUT IN FRONTLINE FIREFIGHTERS

THE FIRE BRIGADES UNION Immediate Media Release 21st March 2011   FIRE CREWS ACROSS EAST ANGLIA TO DEMONSTRATE AGAINST 10% CUT IN FRONTLINE FIREFIGHTERS On Saturday 26th March firefighters from across East Anglia will be descending upon London to attend the mass march and rally organised by the TUC to demonstrate their growing anger at the government’s slash, burn and privatisation strategy which – despite their pre-election promises – is resulting in disastrous cuts to vital frontline services.   Plans already declared by fire and rescue services across East Anglia show cuts of at least 250 full time firefighters – that’s more than a 10% cut at the heart of the frontline 999 service.  …