Employers pull out of Covid duties deal

The FBU firefighters’ union has accused fire and rescue service employers of unilaterally scrapping an agreement which enabled firefighters to assist the NHS and care sector in responding to Covid-19.

According to the union, negotiations over health and safety measures for firefighters delivering high-risk covid-19 duties were still under way when the employers suddenly issued a communication ending the agreement.

The FBU believes this resulted from the employers’ desire to alter previously agreed safety arrangements for those undertaking the additional work. Under the agreement, firefighters were required to submit a negative Covid test before returning to their normal duties – until management attempted to remove this protection at a national level.

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “Rather than support firefighters’ life-saving work, employers have walked away from the very agreement which enabled it. By removing national safety standards, they are exposing staff and services to a deadly disease – all apparently to make a political attack on a trade union simply because we are trying to ensure work is safe.”

As reported in last week's Fact Service, from March to October last year, firefighters helped combat the coronavirus by delivering more than 111,000 essential items, assisting paramedics and driving ambulances at more than 87,000 incidents, and delivering 25,000 units of personal protective equipment. They also assisted with 1,500 Covid tests, delivered more than 1,000 infection, prevention and control training sessions, and moved more than 2,000 bodies of the deceased.

https://www.fbu.org.uk/news/2021/01/15/fire-service-bosses-pull-out-covid-19-agreement