I will start by stating that I appreciate greatly what is being asked of the armed forces but I still request that you consider all the fact just as I will require to do when coming to a decision as to how to vote. What ever you may think, the decisions being taking will not be taken lightly. I did not join the fire service to do anything other than save lives and the decision whether or not to withdraw my services is not one that I had ever envisaged being require to make again..
As the posters on various threads on the forum state, the time comes when you have to face up to to employers trying to walk all over you, especially when the want to do something just because they can. I still hope there is time to end this and even if the vote is for strike action, it does not mean that a strike must take place. Before this intervention on Monday I do not think that the vote would have been for a strike. Now a lot of people even moderates are very angry.
I and the rest of my colleagues have had to put up with a lot of uncertainty over the last 2 years and hoped that everything would hve been sorted out on Monday. The government made sure for what ever reason that the negotiations failed. The armed services should know how we feel as the cuts being proposed are all the thanks you get for what you have done over the last couple of years.
In reply to a few of the previous poster, I am quite happy to drill, carry out inspections in premises, fit smoke alarms in someones house or do what ever is asked of me on Christmas Day. By the way, contrary to what has been stated I do not receive any payment over my normal wages for working public holidays.
The Fire Brigades Union is writing to every Fire Authority telling them the union is balloting for industrial action. The move follows the wrecking of the pay talks.
The employers’ side of the joint meeting was flooded by London councillors – most of them Labour - to ensure a 13-10 vote against signing the deal. The vote was set to go 10-6 in favour of a deal until London councillors were sent in to scupper it.
The wrecking move was described by one senior employers’ representative as a “conspiracy”. The quote is contained in the Independent and is in line with the comments made by privately to the union by many councillors: “ ‘I very rarely subscribe to conspiracy theories, but this is no cock up, this is a conspiracy’.” (Independent, 3 August.)
Another newspaper report confirms the flooding tactic was used. Bill Gillespie from Northern Ireland had attended the crucial talks at the TUC the previous week and knew a deal had been reached.
“ Ulster Fire Authority chairman Bill Gillespie said: "We have been working for over a year, and have overcome obstacle after obstacle. I felt we had reached the end of the road and we should sign up. I'm extremely disappointed now.
"To be fair to the FBU they have played their part and met us half way." He added: "I'm particularly annoyed that nine out of the 13 people who voted against the deal I had never seen before at negotiations. It seems they were drafted in at the last minute."”
Source: Belfast Newsletter 3 August 2004
The agreement reached last week on Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the deal agreed last year would have led to pay awards of 3.5% backdated to last November and 4.2% from 1 July to be made. It also included all key elements of the Government’s modernisation agenda, which have been formally agreed by the union but now rejected by the employers. This includes the issue of bank holiday working.
Details of the moves to block a deal were put formally to the 29 employers’ representatives at the meeting by the union’s Assistant General Secretary Mike Fordham. They were openly challenged on 5 key moves used to block a deal:
*”Nick Raynsford warned the Local Government Executive last Wednesday that the £30 million transitional funding would be withheld if the deal was signed. Do any of you deny it?” No response.
* “The tactics included cancelling this meeting. Do any of you deny it?” No response.
* “The tactics included making the employers’ side inquorate so they could not sign the deal. Do any of you deny it?” No response.
* “They included being pressurised by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister not to backdate the 3.5% payments to November. Do any of you deny it?” No response.
* “The tactics included flooding the meeting with councillors sent in to block the deal. Do any of you deny it?” No response.
The meeting was then adjourned. During the adjournment the employers’ representatives left and notified the union afterwards.
FBU Assistant general secretary Mike Fordham said: “I put every point to them detailing the tactics to be used to block a deal and none of them denied it. They sat in silence and raised no objection.
“Their own side use the term conspiracy because that is what it was. They parachuted in councillors no one had ever seen before, none of whom had ever even sat on a fire authority.
“Many councillors are disgusted by what happened and are making their views very clear. The rest of the UK does not want to see a strike on their doorstep because of a Government inspired plan to wreck the talks.
“Scottish councillors are in open revolt. Northern Ireland councillors are in open revolt. Lib Dem councillors and councillors from other independent parties are in open revolt. An increasing number of councillors in England and Wales are in open revolt.
“Nick Raynsford is the guiding hand behind the moves to block this deal and forcing a confrontation. We were ready to sign the deal yesterday and instead we are being forced to ballot.
“We reached a deal last week and it was Government intervention that stopped it. If there had not been Government intervention a deal would have been reached yesterday.”
Who I would ask is wanting a strike to go ahead?.