Submitted by SWFBU on
TO: ALL MEMBERS
Dear Brother/Sister
DCLG ‘PROPOSALS’ ON PENSIONS: BRANDON LEWIS’ OPEN LETTER TO FIREFIGHTERS (2 MAY 2014)
Over the past weekend a confusing situation emerged regarding our current pension dispute. On 30 April, DCLG Fire Minister, Brandon Lewis, wrote to all Fire and Rescue Authority Chairs about the latest call for industrial action. In this letter he referred to ‘proposals’ on pensions which he stated had been costed by the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) on 19 March.
We have now responded to Mr Lewis on this issue and our response will be available on the FBU website. Our letter addresses the issues raised in detail but the following summary points are relevant:
- The FBU has been involved in discussing various aspects of pensions over the past four months. During these discussions we have reported to members that various technical issues have been considered by both sides, including by the actuaries for both sides. During these discussions, DCLG officials have been very clear to us that these issues under discussion, and any related documents do not constitute proposals.
- DCLG officials have clearly stated to us that any work undertaken by GAD (or any other technical work) would only become a proposal once the Minister had approved it as such. At that point we would expect it to be presented for consideration by FBU members. At no point in the past four months has any such proposal been made.
- The letters from Mr Lewis refer to proposals being costed by GAD and shared on 19 March. This is a significant date since it was a day on which FBU negotiators met DCLG officials. We had expected that a revised set of proposals would be presented or that, at least, we would be given a clear indication of when such revised proposals would be presented. DCLG officials on that day (19 March) were very clear that there were no proposals, nor were they able to provide any information as to when any such proposals might be forthcoming.
- A subsequent meeting with HM Treasury on 8 April confirmed that there should be no obstacle, to DCLG making proposals if that was the decision within the Department. As a result of that, the union wrote to Mr Lewis seeking revised proposals by 24 April. Since no such proposals were made the Executive Council called further industrial action.
- We are happy to confirm that Mr Lewis’ letter to FRA Chairs was not leaked as we had originally thought. It was placed on the DCLG website (which is welcome) although that was not the route by which we had originally received it.
Members are asked to read our response to Mr Lewis which clarifies these points in more detail. See www.fbu.org.uk.
While it is always important to try to clarify the facts in the event of such disagreements, the most significant issue raised by this exchange is a practical one. If DCLG has costed proposals on pensions which it has held since 19 March why does it not present them to the FBU for our members to consider?
Once again, we urge Mr Lewis to conclude the work his officials have been undertaking for some time and to present revised proposals for consideration.
Best wishes.
Yours fraternally
MATT WRACK
GENERAL SECRETARY
