Meeting documents

To approve, and the Chairman to sign as a correct record, the exempt

Minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 5 February 2014 Item 10

A question was asked and answered regarding the recording of votes.

RESOLVED –

That the Exempt Minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 5 February 2014, be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

(Councillor Morris left the meeting)

(Officers re-joined the meeting)

At the direction of the Chairman the Chief Fire Officer and Chief Operating Officer were requested to give a verbal update to the Executive Committee on the recent industrial action which had taken place over the Mayday weekend.

It was reported by the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) that industrial action had taken place on the 2, 3 and 4 May with discontinuous action being employed; that emergency cover was tested (more tested than on previous occasions) but the Service continued to deliver its high quality services. He had implemented his decision not to accept part shift performance, which he had announced on 3 January 2014.

In spite of no representations on that issue being made by any staff member or representative of staff members in the intervening five-month period, the National Executive Committee of the Fire Brigades Union had visited pickets outside fire stations in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.

The CFO stated that for an issue on which no formal concern had been expressed and remains to be expressed formally, the technique appeared to be one of running a hate campaign on twitter, facebook and other social media, but not to negotiate with managers.

There had been a massive lobby which the CFO described as a ‘snowstorm’, where many elected people had been lobbied; and a lot of the correspondents asked for their details to be kept confidential whilst deliberately and actively misleading the people they corresponded with. The CFO stated his view that this was bad enough as a technique, but worryingly some of the correspondents (including people in high office, and elected members on other local authorities) were subsequently expressing concerns over what they had been told before establishing the facts.

The CFO reported that he had read many personalised assaults against him and other senior staff but that there would be no negotiation on these matters whilst personal abuse and threats remain. Until such time as the FBU stop their agents from doing it, or come out with a positive statement against such behaviours, he would not allow his managers to deal with them.

He reported that he had plenty of evidence to give to the Carr Review on Trade Union intimidation, which he would make available through the Members library; that he sincerely hoped that many of the people claiming to be acting on behalf of the FBU on social media are actually not, and are not employed by the Fire Brigade at all; and that there had been some bullying in this service of people who chose to work by those who didn’t. He stated that he took a very severe view of this and that it was intolerable.

It was reported that in December the economics of the strike action was costing £10k-£12k per day. However over the weekend in question £30k was saved instead of costing £30k – a net benefit of £60k - and the citizens of Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes were still protected.

It was reported by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) that there had been 12 strikes so far, and that the FBU targeted these strikes on specific times, the run up to Guy Fawkes night, Christmas, New Year’s, Bank Holiday weekends and they are designed specifically to give the most relief for the people who are on strike and cause the most disruption to the people who chose to work.

The COO stated that there are other Authorities who have recruited people, given them two weeks’ training and cover the strikes in that way, whereas this service uses its professionally trained people who volunteer to work in the event of strike action. When considering whether to accept partial performance, there are a number of things considered: public safety; the views of the community; elected representatives; and the views of the people who are working.

If partial performance had been accepted for the weekend in question, people would have been asked to come in at 11am on Saturday morning, work all the way through till 4am Sunday morning, go home for 2 hours and then come back in at 7am, to then distribute all the fire engines again and then go home at 6pm the next evening.

The COO observed that people have a dispute, and that dispute is between the Government and the FBU, but the Authority still has a responsibility to ensure there are enough fire engines available and make sure the people who work are supported, so when decisions on partial performance are taken, they are sound operational decisions.

The COO added that he had seen the level of vitriol against the Chief Fire Officer and seen some of the words that had been used (which were an absolute disgrace) about a lawful position adopted by an elected Authority.

A discussion was held by Members who showed their support for the Chief Fire Officer in the face of the totally unacceptable personal attacks and vilifications made against him; that the FBU need to reflect on the personalisation of this dispute which is totally unacceptable; that Members were being hypocritically criticised as an organisation over the way in which the Authority managed the situation by an organisation that had withdrawn its labour; that whilst supportive of people withdrawing their labour Members felt they should not then challenge the Authority on the way it managed that situation; and that those members of staff who worked must continue to received the thanks of the Authority.

Councillor Reg Edwards

A presentation was made by the Chairman and Chief Fire Officer to Councillor Reg Edwards who was retiring as a Councillor from Milton Keynes Council and Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority. Councillor Reg Edwards responded.

THE CHAIRMAN CLOSED THE MEETING AT 11.40 AM.