Meeting documents

The Chairman advised Members that the reason for this late urgent item was that on 1 July 2017 the Employers’ side of the National Joint Council (NJC) sent an offer letter to the General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). The offer was in two stages, the first stage being to immediately apply a 2% increase on basic pay across the board on the basis this would allow time to reach a permanent agreement that can meet both parties’ aspirations. The second stage of the offer was a further 3% with effect from 1 April 2018 as part of the 2017 settlement. The critical element of the second stage offer was that it was wholly reliant on governments across the UK providing the funding. The stage 1 offer, however, could have significant ramifications upon the Authority’s current medium term financial plan.

            The Chairman also advised the Committee that he had written to all the Members of Parliament for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes to ask for their support and to ask them to lobby Government on the Authority’s behalf. To date the Authority had received two responses which were both very supportive. The purpose of this report was to get Members’ views on how they would wish to take this matter forward.

            The Chief Fire Officer advised Members that the Authority was part of the National Joint Council (NJC) and part of this was where the Employers (a group of cross party Councillors) meet with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) to agree pay deals. The issue longer term was the pay volatility now being put into the Authority’s planning process.

            The Chief Fire Officer advised Members that in the 2015 Budget, the Government identified that public sector pay should be capped at 1% through to 2020. The Authority had an efficiency plan based on the fact that it would raise council tax 1.99% and that the public sector pay within this organisation would rise by a maximum of 1% all the way through to 2020. The issues that this pay offer raises were more wide ranging than just the 1% pay rise. The only way the Authority can offset this was by having an increased grant from Government or by raising council tax above the 2% limit. For the Authority to raised council tax above the 2% limit there would need to be a relaxation of the referendum limit.

            The Chief Fire Officer was of the opinion that the best way the Authority could control its funding was through local taxation. 70% of the Authority’s funding was through council tax and he felt that would be the best way to secure the long term financial future. The only other option in terms of pay increases was to look at the service provision within the Authority’s area. Most Authorities in reaction to austerity had closed fire stations and removed fire engines. This service had planned well over the last seven years and had made extensive changes to how it operated. This had resulted in the service maintaining the number of fire stations and number of fire engines available to respond in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, but there was a limit as to how much further the organisation could be stretched, and without an increase in funding, either through Government or council tax, Members would have to look at some form of reallocation of resources in terms of fire stations and fire engines. This Authority would have absorbed a reduction in Government grant from 2013–2020 of £4.5 million (66%) and had reduced its headcount of frontline firefighters from 555 to 368. It was down to the goodwill of staff that it had managed to do this without closing a fire station, removing fire engines or making any firefighter compulsory redundant.

A Member asked that a third option be considered which was to have a referendum to ask the public if they supported an increase in firefighters pay.

The Chief Fire Officer confirmed that this was another option. Members would need to agree there should be a lobby to Government to MP’s to look to remove the referendum limit in the first instance and if that was a no, then Members could opt for a referendum.

Members were in agreement that the local MP’s should be contacted and asked to support the removal of the current referendum limit or increasing the level to enable this Authority to plan more effectively and to ensure it can continue to provide the best possible service to its community.

A Member asked a question regarding the projection of council tax over the coming years and was advised that the additional savings required from the Authority would be in the order of £1.2m. The 1% council tax rise raised about £180k.

The Chief Fire Officer advised Members that the FBU was recommending to its Members that they reject the offer. The FBU would be giving a response to the NJC on the 24 July 2017.

The Chairman moved the following recommendation which was seconded by Councillor Carroll:

‘That that the report be noted and supported and that the seven Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Members of Parliament be written to, supporting a pay increase in excess of 1% and to remove or raise the referendum limit for Fire Authorities only’

On being put to a vote it was:

RESOLVED –

That the report be noted and supported and that the seven Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Members of Parliament be written to, supporting a pay increase in excess of 1% and to remove or raise the referendum limit for Fire Authorities only.