Berkshire Circular: TAP Recommendations Acceptance Letter
BERKSHIRE ALL MEMBERS CIRCULAR
14th February 2011
Dear All,
Please find bellow the letter sent to RBFRS Management outlining the FBU formall acceptance of the TAP recommendations:
14th February 2011
I write to inform you that the Berkshire Brigade Committee of the FBU on Monday 7th February 2011 formally accepted the recommendations from TAP on the Windsor shift pattern, as outlined in Professor William Brown’s letter dated 4th February 2011.
The FBU remains disappointed that RBFA has decided to downgrade Windsor fire station and continues to object to its closure at night. If the Fire Authority decides to press on with a Day Only shift pattern at Windsor, we request that it is reviewed at 6 months, 1 year and 3 years from the point of implementation. We also note that TAPs recommendations for the Windsor Day Only shift pattern are specific to that fire station and cannot be applied to any other fire service premises within Berkshire.
While accepting the recommendations, we feel that they do require supplementary agreements to allow them to be implemented in a practical and family-friendly manner.
1. In agreeing to the duty hours 0800-2000 in view of the long shift and late finish,
1.1 We would expect that in the event of an incident requiring the duty personnel to work beyond 2000 hrs, they will be relieved by 2030 hrs. We request that this agreement is monitored and forms part of the annual report of the RBFA Health & Safety Champion for compliance.
1.2 We would expect that management would agree with the FBU that in the event of a stand-by mobilization, the duty personnel are returned to Windsor fire station prior to 2000 hrs. Again, we request that this agreement is monitored and forms part of the annual report of the RBFA Health & Safety Champion for compliance.
1.3 We would ask that any kit/ appliance issues that arise from mobilizations that take duty personnel beyond their end of shift are left for the next day’s oncoming Watch to resolve. This request should prevent the duty personnel working more than 13 hours of continuous duty.
We also seek the following clarifications –
2. In agreeing to the rota pattern, we note that the Northern Ireland model, which runs a similar shift cycle, has flexibility built into it to make the rota family-friendly. That is, personnel are permitted to break up two days (24 hours) into 4 hour or 6 hour periods. This is, of course, locally managed to ensure operational availability of the station fleet, but the need to break up the two days is prompted by the individual, not by brigade requirement. Would RBFA consider a similar provision for the Windsor Day Only shift pattern?
3. At the TAP hearing on 31st January 2011, we were pleased that the RBFRS team (Dr. Paul Bryant, Chair of the Fire Authority; Olaf Baars, Deputy Chief Fire Officer and Director of Service Delivery; David Wallace, Director of Human Resources) made it clear that Windsor would have a station complement of 2 Watches of 7 personnel and that these will be led by 2 Watch Managers; that is, with a separate Watch Manager in charge of each Watch (In contrast to the Wokingham shift pattern model, which runs with 1 Watch Manager in charge of 2 Watches).This will allow for an efficient management system. Can RBFA confirm that those reassurances made to the Technical Advisory Panel are accurately reflected above and will be actioned?
4. When the FBU handed its proposals for the TAP submission to DHR David Wallace on 20th January 2011, he stated that a dedicated Station Manager was ‘a given’. Can RBFA confirm that the Windsor Day Only shift patter will be run with a dedicated Station Manager and so prevent many of the problems that have been experienced with the Wokingham shift pattern?
5. Can RBFA confirm whether it intends to make the two payments of £1000 pensionable and that these are ‘after tax’ figures?
6. Can RBFA also confirm that volunteers will be sought to crew the Windsor Day Only shift pattern and that, if volunteers are not found, the Fire Authority will implement a selection process using selection criteria/weighting system agreed with the FBU?
We trust that you will find nothing objectionable in the above and look forward to hearing from you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further information.
Yours sincerely,
Mark Stollery FBU Brigade Secretary
Maurice Whyte FBU Brigade Chair
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