Op Fresco II?

[andgo]

London Firefighters have today voted for strike action..........

Oh good, best get it in before SDSR or there won't be any of us to cover the fire service........AGAIN :ugh:

[Jumping_Jack]

I'll have a word with DSDA, get the stirrup pumps and buckets prepared! Bugger....we've sold the Green Godesses....

[Roadster280]

Firefighters who are prepared to let people and property burn will not get much support, I should think. Especially as there is now no military capability to cover.

[eastern wiseguy]

No pay, no spray: Firefighters let home burn - U.S. news - Life - msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39516346/ns/us_news-life/)



You may have seen this before.......they didn't seem especially worried about public mores.

Thread drift off

[Jimmy Macintosh]

This is always bizarre to me, my brother is in the fire service.

Last time this strike happened the forces stepped in to replace the firefighters and all of his watch that had served in the forces before were called up and sent to conflict zones. They should have called them up and sent them to replace themselves!

I've only heard the one sided biased view of my brother but as far as I can ascertain, and this is a paraphrase, they are looking to rip up everyone's contract with the fire service and instantly offer them a new one. If they take it nothing really happens except the new conditions come into play.

The one point of note that was emphasized was that the old contracts were 30 years service, full pension, the new contract 40 years service full pension. Most new fire fighters are already on the new contract it's the older generations that are getting screwed over. One of his colleagues is four months away from retirement on full pension, or should I say 10 years and four months now. My brother was 9 to go and is now looking at 19 years. He is 41 at the moment, I'm not convinced of the use of a 60 year old firefighter.

[Biggus]

I thought I read on pprune a few months ago that, now that the Green Goddesses have all been sold to third world nations, the military will not be used to provide cover if the fireman go on strike.

Instead apparently civil companies, such as Serco, are on a retainer to provide such cover. Indeed I believe someone said some oldish (but much newer than GGs) fire tenders were parked at Waddington for use by the civil company if so required.

[downsizer]

^^^Correct.

[JFZ90]

One of his colleagues is four months away from retirement on full pension, or should I say 10 years and four months now.

I'd be surprised if that were true. These measures are usually done to scale the impact relative to how near you are to retirement - i.e. only the youngest take the full hit.

[Jimmy Macintosh]

I agree, I was stunned by what he said and asked that wouldn't it be more scaled depending on how long each one had left? He didn't say whether it was but to be honest if you're p!ssed off at something one always backs up ones feelings.

I do believe it to be a biased viewpoint.

[VinRouge]

Perhaps they want them to strike? Nothing will break a strike quicker than a complete and utter disregard from the local populace, the minute people realise the perks the fire service already have (2nd jobs and getting paid overtime on standby etc)

[Kronenburg]

Since the agreement post the last Op Fresco 02/03, the MOD is no longer responsible to pick up the pieces and provide cover to industrial action by local authority fire service's. There is now in place a contingency plan by the local authority's to implement alternative emergency cover by a contractor should this situation (or some kind of major emergency) arise again. That is the plan anyway !

The FBU are always looking to kick off anyway and have historically been ever so slightly left in their views... one look at their website demonstrates solidarity with the brother's in Cuba, Venezuela and Palestine.

Closer to home, never mind retiring at 60, our own Dad's Army of MOD Civil Service Firefighter's (the DFS in old money) now retire at 65, if they make it that far !

[Wokkafans]

Perhaps the UK forces should follow the example of the London Fire Brigade and squirrel away their kit until the results of the SDR are known.:}

'Last chance' for deal as London firefighters vote to strike | News (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23887963-last-chance-for-deal-as-london-firefighters-vote-to-strike.do)

[NUFC1892]

I thought I read on PPRuNe a few months ago that, now that the Green Goddesses have all been sold to third world nations, the military will not be used to provide cover if the fireman go on strike.


Slight thread drift..............as QM in Kosovo in 2007 I took reciept of 10 x GG that were subsequently gifted to the fledgling Kosovan Defence Force. In comparison to the rest of the kit they had the GG were in pretty good nick!

[Jabba_TG12]

I havent heard anything about the changes to retirement ages, the one that did get publicised was the shift changes from instead of 9+15 hours, 2 days 2 nights 4 off, to 12 hours shifts.

And the FBU figure thats worth striking for? FFS....:ugh::ugh::ugh:

Sure its not because all of those little second jobs on the side that y'all have got are now going to be jeopardised??? Preservation of the Spanish practises?:rolleyes:

[BEagle]

Instead apparently civil companies, such as Serco, are on a retainer to provide such cover.

Whereas military personnel called out for OP FRESCO had no choice in the matter, the prospect of a civilian company being used for 'strike-breaking' (as it would be widely perceived) is a whole new ball game.

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

alternative emergency cover by a contractor


Oh great! Good thing that we're awash with money to pay the contractor...

[Kronenburg]

The contracts are already in place and in the case of London, www.assetco.com/about-us.aspx (http://www.assetco.com/about-us.aspx) are the chosen one's to provide cover. Not sure how the finer points of the financial arrangement come in to play when they are actually out on the street's though.

Again, to bring this subject closer to home and with the SDSR days away, I know the Defence Fire Risk Management Organisation (MOD Fire Services) are getting very twitchy about the future of MOD civil servant firefighters being employed on our remaining airfields and bases. They are skint like everyone else and the huge overspend in the past, when they had it so, so good for so long, has come back to haunt.

So, apart from the RAF Trade Group 8 firefighters, everything else could potentially be contractorised and hoovered up by Serco, Babcock and the other player's in the defence contract game.