All Station/Brigade Reps - Briefing Note 05/08

Members will be aware through recent RFU publications and our website that with the final implementation of EC Regulation 561/2006 in April 2007 there are now threats to the continued employment of RDS firefighters who drive ‘In scope’ vehicles as part of their primary employment in that there are no derogations for Retained Firefighters in relation to drivers rest breaks (Daily or Weekly).

In an effort to gather evidence using ‘real’ examples to demonstrate the negative impact this regulation would have on our members and the availability of appliances we produced a short questionnaire for ALL personnel to complete (the questionnaire is still available on our website). Equipped with this documentation we have lobbied the Dept for Communities and Local Government (CLG) as well as taking our concerns directly to the then Minister Parmjit Dhanda.

Joint working with other interested partners has been beneficial especially in terms of sharing information but as yet the situation remains unchanged, with the impending dismissal of RDS employees in at least one FRS currently on hold while ‘guidance’ is sought from central government.

Such guidance when it appears provides no guarantee that the situation will be resolved, in fact it could even provide the justification to dismiss those RDS who are ‘In Scope’, so to say that this is an important issue is an understatement.

To update you on progress, in October I wrote to Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport seeking a meeting with him and setting out the implications for the RDS if no action is taken to seek derogation. I’m now in a position to confirm that he has replied to me and a meeting will take place on the 24th November. I shall be accompanied by Executive Officer Adam Moore (Notts FRS) who has a significant level of understanding of the ‘In Scope’ issue. Following this meeting I shall provide our members with a further update.

This is a timely reminder to ALL RDS to go to our website and fill in the questionnaire without delay. Feedback suggests that other parties with the duty to represent their members are not currently taking any action whatsoever, in fact they are advising their members to abide by the regulations but if they do, potentially they will end having to leave the service.

To sum up, if you’re an In Scope driver and want to remain part of the RDS then it is in your interests to put your union affiliations aside and help us to help you if no-one else will.

John Barton
General Secretary