MERSEYSIDE Fire and Rescue Service staff have started industrial action short of strike.

The action - concerning firefighters, control staff and green book staff (non-uniformed staff) - will consist of a refusal to undertake pre-arranged overtime. It began today (Thursday, December 1) and could potentially last for six months.

The ballot followed what unions described as a "serious break down in industrial relations between Merseyside Fire Brigades Union and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority and the failure to reach agreement on several issues".

The issues which led to Merseyside members voting overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action are:

  • The imposed reduction in night-time staffing numbers in Merseyside Fire Control Room from the agreed level of six to five.
  • The introduction of new duty shift systems - without negotiation - which essentially require new firefighters to work both wholetime and retained and breach nationally agreed terms and conditions in relation to overtime rates of pay.
  • The non-agreed expansion of the firefighter role in contracts for all new entrants.
  • Firefighter Apprentices being required to attend the workplace outside of core hours to undertake training sessions, assessments, charity days and exams.

Ian Hibbert, Brigade Secretary for Merseyside Fire Brigades Union, said: "Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services’ continued refusal to abide by locally and nationally agreed negotiation procedures has left Merseyside FBU members with little choice but to take industrial action. Like many workers, our members are suffering through the worst cost of living crisis in decades, whilst simultaneously having to fend off attacks on our terms and conditions of service, perpetrated by our local fire authority.

“Let me be clear on this, Merseyside FBU has made no demands which could result in less fire engines, less fire stations, slower response times or fewer staff in our fire control room. The Fire Brigades union has always fought to maintain fire cover, campaigns such as the one led by the Fire Brigades Union in 2018 to save night-time fire cover at Liverpool City Centre and Wallasey fire stations stand as testament to this.

“FBU members are not asking for a lot, in fact the vast majority of the issues which have led us to this point could be resolved at no cost to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority or the public whom we serve. All we are seeking is that Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service honour our nationally agreed terms and conditions and enter into negotiation and reach agreement with the Fire Brigades Union on all issues.”

A Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson told the Globe: "We are disappointed at the outcome of the FBU ballot on local industrial action but we will not meet any demands which could result in less fire engines, less fire stations, slower response times or fewer staff in our control rooms overall.

"Resilience has been built into the model to ensure the Service can respond to all types of incident (day or night) as staffing can be increased by alerting retained control operators should demand increase (staff are paid 10% on top of their normal salary for this commitment and they are paid for any additional hours worked).

"No member of Fire Control staff or operational staff have been compelled to accept new terms and conditions of employment. No one has or will be required to change their contract of employment because of the revisions to the operating model.

"With regards to contractual changes elsewhere, we don’t agree that these are a non-agreed expansion of the firefighter role.

"The upshot of this action short of strike will be the unplanned loss of fire engine availability, which would ordinarily be offset by the use of overtime.

"The action will also affect staff who use/have used pre-planned overtime to minimise the impact of the cost of living crisis on them and their families and whilst the Chief Fire Officer met with MPs last week to commence a lobby of government to secure better funding, including better pay for all staff, we know it won’t come soon enough, if at all, so we question the legitimacy of this action, particularly at this time.

"We know there may also be some effects on our work in the community but we are already putting in arrangements to mitigate it and in doing so protect the most vulnerable.

"We remain committed to constructive dialogue with all our representative bodies, which puts our communities first."