FBU members vote in favour of industrial action written by
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue 1377871427
on the 30
th August 2013 at 15:03
- Posted in Fire Blog
Chief Fire Officer Tom Capeling, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS), said: “Following a ballot, FBU members have voted in favour of industrial action linked to the national dispute over pensions between the FBU and central Government. "It is not yet clear what the nature and timing of the industrial action will be and I will issue more information about this as soon as it is available. "We hope that talks between the two parties will continue and that any industrial action can still be avoided. “In the case of industrial action, the Fire Authority and myself have a legal duty to provide a fire and rescue service as far as is reasonably practicable. As with all fire and rescue services, military support and the green goddesses are no longer an option to us in carrying out our duty to protect the public. “We have plans in place to offer a limited response service during industrial action and this involves making the best use of the available number of fire appliances across Tyne and Wear. These plans have been in place for a number of years and I will be putting them into operation should industrial action occur. The Service will use trained fire service officers and staff who will be supported by additional staff we have recruited and trained in recent weeks, including recently retired firefighters, individuals who were successful during our last recruitment process, former military and specialist personnel. This plan is not designed to replicate the excellent service our firefighters provide every day of the week, however it is designed to provide a core service in the event of industrial action. Should industrial action occur, our service will operate as normal on non strike days. “We would like to ask the public to continue to take care with fire safety and to ensure they have working smoke alarms on each floor of their property. We want them to ensure they have an escape plan and that everyone in the house knows what to do in the event of a fire. "As always, advice and guidance in relation to fire safety is available on the TWFRS's website at www.twfire.gov.uk. "We will provide further information for the public and businesses should any periods of industrial action be announced."
