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format| There has been, as I write this, a suspension
of the first of our planned strike days. Two periods of 48 hours
have been suspended whilst negotiations take place. I do not know
what the outcome will be nor what the employers will say they want
from us for any pay adjustment. It is my belief that we have done all the giving in the last few years and until pay is at the correct rate, and a formula in place only when a base rate for pay is fully established, should we discuss any further changes within the fire service. We have said consistently that £30,000 a year is a fair rate of pay. I have been asked by members, the public and the press what we want as a fair rate of pay and I have been consistent in my reply. £30,000 a year. Why is that difficult to grasp? If it is a fair rate, and I believe wholly that it is, then if we negotiate for anything less we are in fact saying that we are willing to accept an unfair pay rate. The question then, if members want to settle for less than a fair rate of pay, is how unfair do you want to be? Do you want to be a little unfair and settle for £29,000 or very unfair and settle for say £25,000? I do not want to find any member put in the position where they again have to be balloted on industrial action because pay has fallen to a level equivalent to today’s rate. In 1977 the proposal was for manual earnings +10%. Had that been established the additional 10% which was not agreed upon would have had a major effect on pay today not due to the 10% itself but to the compound effect of it. By the same token if a settlement were reached at say £25,000 a year instead of the fair £30,000 the effect over just 10 years at a 6% averaged increase would mean a difference of £746:16 a month to a Firefighter or control operator. I do not believe we should sell ourselves short. £8,954 a year less is what we would end up with in just 10 years. That’s over £500 a year more than we are fighting for now as a fair adjustment! Does anyone really want to return to the present situation in another 10 years? The two problems we face are those of attaining a fair pay rate and maintaining one. We cannot hope to maintain a fair rate of pay if the starting position on which a pay formula is set is itself too low. All that would mean, no matter how fair or good a formula is, is that we would simply stay at that level unless a formula had an in-build incremental system to increase earnings in real terms annually. If the starting rate is not fair then each annual settlement would simply maintain that unfairness until we come full circle to where we are now. There is a great deal of pressure put upon members not to take any industrial action. The only long-term solution to the problem is to ensure a solution is just that. Long term. Why would or should any Control Operator or Firefighter settle for something which is in the first instance unfair and in the second remains so? When Tony Blair took his £50,000+ rise in July 2001 did he have to consider what the difference such a sum would make to any future effects on his pay? I doubt it. We do not have the luxury of making any mistakes as we do not have the opportunities to join the lucrative after-dinner circuit, or to write memoirs and become millionaires. We have to ensure any settlement is fair both for today and in the future. How would any settlement be financed? It has to come of course from central government and no doubt they in turn will want to take even more from us. How would they do that? An increase in pension contribution rates? A tax rate on the commutation figure or even stop it? Perhaps an extension to a Firefighters working life and a revision of retirement age and criteria? Who knows? I do know though that we as members can’t achieve a yes vote of 87% and demonstrate our solidarity only to acquiesce to pressure from any quarter and agree a settlement any less than a fair one. I have seen and read all the research and figures on why £30,000 is a fair rate for what we do. I have seen pay rates of other workers which are less than fair. I have talked to members from many other unions who would also like a fair adjustment but agree we have fallen behind. I have not to date read, seen or had explained to me by anyone why £30,000 has become less than fair. The truth is it is still, and at present remains, a fair rate for the job we do. Anything else not only sells us short today, but will see us sold short tomorrow, the day after that, and the weeks, months and years after that. We have a membership which believes quite rightly they are worth a fair rate of pay. That rate is £30,000 for fulltime members and an equivalent rate for part time Firefighters. To accept anything else is, quite simply, to accept something which is unfair for today and tomorrow; and will see us back to today’s position in a little as 10 years. Dean Mills Regional Secretary Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you have any queries or want any more information please contact me on:
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