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In 2014, the Authority’s agreed Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) confirmed the standard crewing on full-time appliances would be four but additional funding of £800,000 was released from reserves to provide crews of five on as many occasions as possible for a period of up to two years.
In February 2017, the Authority subsequently requested Officers to produce a plan to provide for crews of five on appliances across the Service on as many occasions as possible, at no additional cost to the Service and with no change to service provision.
Following detailed consultation, a new set of proposals was presented to the Representative Bodies (RBs) in August 2017, which dealt with the major issues that had been identified by them over the previous four months. Following further significant negotiations with the FBU, a ‘Terms of Agreement’ document was agreed in November 2017 and which was subsequently recommended to their members for approval by FBU officials. However, in February, the local FBU Brigade Committee voted to reject the proposed changes to contracts.
In response to that decision, the Fire Authority mandated Officers, if required, to use the dismissal/re-engagement process if suitable progress could not be made. However, in view of the broader national context, it had not been considered appropriate to pursue that course.
The Chairman commented that due to the local FBU membership not accepting a local agreement that would re-establish crews of 5, the Authority should formally accept standard crewing now as being 4, in line with its original CRMP 2014 decision.
During discussions the Chief Fire Officer assured Members that the current budget allowed for crews of 4. He also reminded Members that a number of Fire Services already rode crews of 4 and therefore this would not be a reduced service.
With regard to the Day Crewing Plus (DCP) system, Members were informed of recent Court decisions which meant that DCP was not compliant with the Working Time Regulations 1998 unless a local collective agreement could be negotiated with the Representative Bodies. Officers had started discussions with the FBU and FOA but at this stage the FBU had been unwilling to negotiate an agreement.
It was agreed that a further report be presented to the Authority at the February meeting.
RESOLVED that:
(1) Standard crewing on full-time appliances will remain at four, in line with the Fire Authority’s original 2014 Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) decision. This is due to the current inability to reach a local agreement with affected staff groups to implement the appropriate contractual changes which would have achieved crews of five, despite an agreement being negotiated with respective trade union representatives back in January 2018 (referred to in previous Authority papers as the ‘Terms of Agreement’ document).
(2) Officers enter into immediate discussions with the relevant representative bodies, with the view to reaching a local agreement in respect to the Day Crewing Plus (DCP) system.
(3) In respect to the DCP system, a further report be brought to the next meeting of the Fire Authority, if no local agreement has been reached by that time, with a view to:
i. implementing a suitable duty system for the second full-time fire appliances at Hereford and Worcester stations. The duty system wouldneed to be economically viable in respect to the Service’s Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), as well as meeting the existing CRMP analysis from 2014 (whichitselfwas subject to full publicand staff consultation at the time); and
ii. undertaking an immediate CRMP analysis in respect to Bromsgrove Station to determine a duty system that is the most suitable and economically viableto replace the current DCP system, whilstalso taking into account the Service’s MTFP.
(4) The Chairman and the Chief Fire Officer seek an urgent meeting with the Fire Minister in order to explain the impact upon services as a result of the difficulties in reaching agreements with the FBU.