Submitted by SWFBU on
The Fire Brigades Union
GENERAL SECRETARY: MATT WRACK
BRADLEY HOUSE, 68 COOMBE ROAD, KINGSTON UPON THAMES, SURREY, KT2 7AE
Our Ref: MW/sll 20 December 2013
Brandon Lewis MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Communities and Local Government Eland House
Bressenden Place
London
SW1E 5DU
Dear Brandon
Thank you for your letter of 18 December which was received late on that date (and once again after normal close of business).
In relation to your availability for talks, I wish to clarify what we have set out in writing previously. We have made clear on every occasion that we are ready to meet at any time. The most recent examples of correspondence clearly confirm this. We have also made this very clear in direct discussion with yourself and with your officials when we have been able to meet.
On 4 November I wrote to you setting out our concerns at your decision to withdraw certain elements of your proposals of 19 June. I finished by urging you to return to the negotiating table.
On 28 November I wrote to you confirming our attendance at your ‘roundtable’ discussion on fitness and capability. In this I expressed our concerns that a meeting allocated just one hour was unlikely to be sufficient to resolve the issues under discussion. Despite that you did not allocate any more time. Nor have you called any further meetings on the subject. I also made very clear that this was just one element of the dispute between us and that as the responsible Minister you should sit down and try to resolve the dispute with us. I stated that the FBU is available at any time for such discussions. Our suggestion of talks was not taken up.
On 3 December I wrote again, explaining why we do not consider the Fire and Rescue National Framework an adequate mechanism for resolving the No Job No Pension threat and our concerns that you had started the process of further increasing our members’ pension contributions. I concluded by explaining that we have continued to talk with the Fire Service Employers and with Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but no such talks were taking place with yourself. I urged you to meet with us. Again no such discussion was set up.
I also made clear to you verbally at the close of your roundtable discussion on fitness and capability that the FBU would be keen to meet to discuss pensions and our dispute on pensions. I have made the same point on several occasions to Neil O’Connor. I would hope that he has reported back.
It is clear from the above that the FBU has been available for talks at any time. It is clear that talks have continued to take place elsewhere in the UK and with other parties within the Fire and Rescue Service. The only place they have not taken is with you or with CLG officials. This means that the last discussion with you on the pensions’ dispute took place on the morning of 17 October.
Regarding meeting, there is no change of mind on our part. We stand ready to meet anywhere at any time. We have always done so.
When we received your letter, my office made numerous efforts to contact your office using the normal channels. You will find this recorded in an email to your office from my PA on 19 December at 15.06. We were surprised, considering your letter, that there was no response to the numerous calls or to the email sent.
If your office has closed for the Christmas period we can provide alternative venues for meeting. Our office in Kingston would be available or I am sure the TUC would be able to provide a venue in central London if that would be more convenient.
I am sure you will take a different view to us on the sequence of events set out above and there is probably little to be gained from endlessly discussing that. Rather than debating those issues I suggest we set up a meeting to discuss the pensions’ dispute and all elements within it.
Yours sincerely
MATT WRACK GENERAL SECRETARY
