The chief of Nottinghamshire's fire service says he is "now looking at resilience planning" as workers begin to consider strike action over a an "utterly inadequate" 2% pay rise. It is understood the latest development could pose problematic for the fire service.
According to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), its executive council has voted unanimously to reject a proposed 2% pay offer, which is decided nationally. Chief fire officer of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, Craig Parkin, says the rejection is now "likely to cause us some problems".
Mr Parkin told Nottinghamshire Live while he must remain politically neutral he is demanding that his service, which was rated 'good' after putting in place a number of improvements since 2018, is offered longer-term funding settlements. His comments come as the service's staffing has been cut 11% since 2016 compared to just 2% nationally, with firefighters now being hit hard by the soaring costs of living.
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Speaking of how his staff feel Mr Parkin says: "They love coming to work in this organisation but like so many people in the public sector they are clearly telling me about the value they feel that is being placed upon them. I have a great relationship with the local [FBU] officials and I've been part of industrial relations here for 15 years.
"On pay my only response to that is I need to do everything I can to lobby local councillors, MPs about what this organisation requires for future funding. What we require is a longer term funding settlement, not year-on-year, and I understand what I'm being told and listening to through Home Office and nationally, but if we want to plan to improve and plan to get better, including pay, we need longer term settlements that we are getting at the moment.
"That will mean I have the tools to do what I can do, doing it better. We are doing great at the minute, on pay that is dealt with nationally, and again I can have some influence around lobbying, my call to both employers and employees though is something needs to be resolved and I see that through a coordinated action and I think we are heading into is some difficult times.
"And I certainly know my workforce has been approached by their union about how they feel about the pay rise. It has been unanimously rejected nationally, not just Derbyshire or here, that is likely to cause us some problems. I have reported to the fire authority and I'm even on record through fire authority that we are now looking at resilience planning.
"What does that mean where the workforce decides to remove their labour completely or partially, and we have to account for that and it is a statutory duty of the fire authority to make those plans."
And in a message to his staff he added: "My key message really is to my workforce is that whatever action our workforce takes that needs to be done with respect, by me as the leadership and them as the workforce, because whatever and however long it takes we have to come back together and work on the other side. I have worked here for 27 years and I am not prepared to jeopardise the relationship I have with my awesome workforce."
The FBU says: "The executive council has agreed that plans should be urgently prepared to develop our campaign for decent pay, including the need to prepare for strike action. All FBU members are asked to fully participate in such discussions; all voices need to be heard.
"Firefighters have never taken industrial action lightly but nor can we allow this pay insult to pass without challenge. The employers' proposal would mean a further cut to our real wages and further hardship for our members and their families. That is unacceptable in the face of the cost of living crisis."
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