Discussions took place yesterday (10th December) with Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) the UK lead Department for the WTD where we made representations, seeking to ensure that the potential impact on RDS is brought to their attention.

The RFU has today written to all MEPs over our concerns regarding the need for the existing UK Opt-Out to be retained within the Working Time Directive. MEPs and EU Member States will vote on whether to retain the Opt-Out in the European Parliament on the 17th December.

Whilst we are aware the TUC fully supports the removal of the Opt-Out and that it has a right to represent its member’s wishes, we also have a right to represent our member's wishes and that is to continue to work as we do within the RDS with all the benefits it provides within the community. We will fight for the right for our members to have the choice they obviously want in providing this vital emergency service.

Notwithstanding the fact that larger unions within all sectors in UK are campaigning to remove the Opt-Out for their own well documented reasons; collective opt-out through collective bargaining would impose draconian restrictions on everyone irrespective of union affiliation or membership.
Our members are trained and have individual responsibilities under Health & Safety to monitor their own availability for work; to remove this option would undermine this specific skill.

Appropriate management within the Fire Service has ensured that our members do not work excessive hours with any negative impact on their Health, Safety and Welfare. There are arrangements in place to relieve crews at protracted incidents.
Removal of the UK Opt-Out could see the RDS depleted across the UK with the alternatives being either no local fire cover (increased response times from locations further afield) or increases in Wholetime establishments at huge cost to the tax payer at a time when there is great pressure on personal finances.

Statement Ends

Note to editors
The UK Statistical information service (SIS) in its 2007 report records that there are total of 67,951 personal employed within the UK FRS, 37,596 Wholetime (primary employed) 18,827 RDS and it is this second category which provides 60% of the emergency cover on 1,324 of the total of 2,075 UK Fire Stations. Actual UK landmass covered by the RDS equates to 91%. Retained firefighters usually have other employment, and are called to respond to fires, rescues and other emergencies when required. This community spirited group of men and women are at the forefront of public protection.

The local risk profile dictates the way in which a fire station is crewed, the majority of RDS crewed stations are outside of the major conurbations and as RDS staff are not primarily employed by the fire authority they therefore need a primary occupation as their main source of income. In rural areas the expectations in terms of wages is such that many out of necessity use the income they receive as firefighters to supplement their income. These sums are determined by the frequency of emergency calls responded to and range from £5k to £15k per annum. Whilst on calls they lose income from their primary employment therefore should the opt-out be removed and they be dismissed, the impact on their combined earnings would be immense.

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