Submitted by SWFBU on
TO: ALL MEMBERS
Dear Brother/Sister,
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING : 15 MAY 2014 – PENSION CAMPAIGN
The Executive Council met yesterday (15 May) to review further reports on strike action and any discussions with DCLG, employers or other Ministers. FBU negotiators met DCLG Fire Minister, Brandon Lewis on Monday of this week.
At this meeting, Mr Lewis set out his current position on various pension matters. This position has shifted on various aspects since we last met, and since the last period of strike action. It is obviously essential for the Executive Council and other members to assess any changes or developments at each stage of the campaign.
Contributions
Mr Lewis explained that he was making revisions to the proposed employee contribution rate from 2015. The rate for the main salary range (£27,000 to £50,000) would be 12.2% for 2015, with a lower rate for lower earners.
This is a change from the last set of proposals made by DCLG. The previous set of proposals had included a significant additional penalty for current (unprotected) members of the 1992 scheme. That has now been removed.
We have explained regularly to Mr Lewis that the expense and rising cost of the schemes is one area of major concern for our members and that we do not believe any increase in pension cost for employees is either justifiable or supported by evidence.
We have now written to Mr Lewis seeking the full written details of these revised proposals for employee contributions.
Fitness and capability (No Job, No pension)
Mr Lewis stated that he would now start a public consultation on the vital issue of fitness and capability and its inclusion within the DCLG National Framework.
Members will recall that we have previously set out a range of concerns about this approach, not least from the perspective of the legal and employment rights of our members. Some months ago, in a meeting between legal teams from each side, we were able to demonstrate the many weaknesses in the approach of the DCLG team. We have seen nothing to suggest that position has changed.
Mr Lewis has stated on several occasions that a firefighter in such circumstances should not be dismissed. Yet so far, FBU members have seen nothing which actually addresses this very real threat to firefighters. We have made a very clear proposal on this matter, which is that it should be addressed through a new rule in the pension regulations. As with other aspects of these proposals, the FBU has made a sensible and practical suggestion for solving this problem.
Our letter to Mr Lewis asks him to set out clearly the suggestions, process and timescales for this element of his proposed course of action.
Implementation of 2015 Scheme
Mr Lewis stated that he would proceed to take the steps to implement the ‘Proposed Final Agreement’ through the necessary public consultation and parliamentary procedures. This is extremely disappointing and flies in the face of the range of evidence we have presented to government over the past three years or so.
This decision also appears to ignore the various strands of work and discussion which have taken place since January this year. We are aware that there are various costed suggestions which have been considered by GAD but which have not been published or publicly discussed. Considering the effort already put into such work and the public cost of commissioning work from GAD, it is reasonable that all such areas should be publicly made available for consideration during any consultation.
Again, we have asked Mr Lewis for the details of the suggestions, process and timescales involved.
Protection
We have also set out again the concerns FBU members have over the failure to protect the pension rights of current scheme members, including the perverse injustice that some members with longer service are unprotected, while colleagues with less service are covered by protection. Both aspects of this issue are regularly raised by members at local level.
Next steps
We have set out our various questions and concerns to Mr Lewis in a letter, and have asked for a further urgent meeting with him.
The Executive Council has considered all these developments and will continue to meet as necessary to assess the situation. It is important to clarify that the Executive Council did not take any decision not to call strike action. Rather, the Executive Council is continuing to discuss with our Brigade, Regional and Sectional Committees the various options open for the next stage of our campaigning.
As part of this planning process, all Regional Secretaries have been asked to attend an urgent national meeting to assist in the planning of all activity which may be necessary. Likewise, discussions have already taken place on many Regional Committees around various options for taking our campaign forward.
Please ensure that the views of your branch are made clear to your Brigade Committee so that our discussion on the next steps can take account of all views.
Best wishes.
Yours fraternally,
MATT WRACK
GENERAL SECRETARY
