Brigade Officials have been chasing up management regarding the Hepatitis Policy that we have been waiting for since it was approved by the Fire Authority. At a meeting on the 28th June Officials were told the Policy just about finished and ready to come out for consultation. In the interim period anyone who requires vaccinations should contact Occupational Health and seek instructions on the process in place up until the policy’s introduction. We have been told that the interim arrangements are that an individual can claim back the cost of the vaccinations charged by GP’s up to a certain limit. Please ensure you have clarified your own costs to be incurred and contacted Occ health for them confirm it is within the limits set prior to receiving the treatment. 

At the Fire Authority (FA) meeting held on the 29th June a progress report paper
was presented to FA members. It’s content stated that in
total 13 alternative duty systems had been examined by a
working party and from this, a short list of three had been
selected to examine further. The paper also had a
recommendation that the date for implementing any duty
system changes (if there are any) should be put back until
January 2009.

The FBU wrote to the CFO to object as the
paper stated the FBU were part of this working party. This
is definitely NOT the case, the FBU were invited to sit on a
duty system review working party but the only thing
discussed at the three 45 minute meetings we were invited to was
the criteria to be used to compare any other duty systems
against the current one. We certainly have not been
provided with any information on any of these alternative
duty systems and have made repeated requests a copy of
the final report from the working group that we are
supposedly part of.

The CFO clarified the position of the
FBU to Fire Authority members with regards to duty
systems and that the FBU were not signed up to altering
the duty system. What was also welcome, was the reference
made to there having to be substantial evidence produced
in order to recommend any changes to the existing duty
system. The FBU have made their position absolutely clear
to HFRS management and that is: our members have
overwhelmingly shown (98.62%) in our own survey that
they do not want any changes made to their existing duty
system. Remember!!!  To alter the existing Duty System it
is not just a Consultation exercise, it is contractual and
therefore negotiable

At a meeting with management on the 28th June, Brigade Officials once again raised the issue of CPD Pay. Management stated that they will pay the CPD when given the go ahead by the National Employers. The FBU then asked at what figure did HFRS intend to pay as CPD. Management once again put forward their proposal to pay a figure of £575.82 and then all of the successful applicants in 2008 would receive the £62.18 that they would be owed from this year. Brigade Officials stated that this is a position they could not agree to and would hand the matter over to the National Joint Secretaries, further discussions took place and management have now stated they will go back to the Fire Authority for them to approve the funding to enable CPD Pay to be paid at the Nationally agreed figure of £638.