20 December 2002
A source close to the talks conceded that the final report of the Independent Review into the Fire Service will 'make parameters very tight'.
The review, chaired by Sir George Bain, inflamed the Fire Brigades Union by stating explicitly that there was 'no case for a significant increase in pay'. The FBU has already staged a number of strikes in support of its 40% pay claim and has steadfastly refused to discuss modernisation without a pay hike.
But Bain will make the FBU's negotiating position more difficult by tying pay tightly to modernisation. It recommends 4% this year, but only once the FBU has agreed to reform. By November 2003, firefighters could receive a 7% pay increase, but again only once reform has begun.
The report crucially recommends repealing Section 19 of the 1947 Fire Service Act. This is the prerequisite of any major reform and would give employers vital new powers to introduce flexible working. Under the section, any changes to appliance numbers or workforce conditions have to be agreed by the secretary of state, providing the FBU with a level of protection.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has already indicated his intention to repeal this and is publishing a white paper on the service next spring.
Bain also recommends a major overhaul of firefighters' pensions, changes to shift patterns, family-friendly working practices and diversity objectives. The Fire Service Inspectorate should 'drive through change', relinquishing its inspections to the Audit Commission. The service should be subject to an inspection process similar to the Comprehensive Performance Assessment.
The report leaves few stones unturned. As Bain promises in his foreword, it is a 'top to bottom' plan for reform.
The FBU has agreed to return to Acas on January 6 to resume negotiations but has already announced two new strike dates, January 28 and February 1. Both sides concede that there is little reason for optimism.
The FBU labelled the Bain report a 'distraction designed to wreck meaningful discussions' and has refused to acknowledge it. The employers, however, said it was now the only 'game in town'. With the government agreeing to fund some transitional costs for modernisation, national and local government now appear more unified.
PFdec2002
