PEACE has finally been brokered in the long running dispute between Essex firefighters and their bosses.
Fire Brigades Union representatives from fire stations across Essex voted on Monday to confirm their officials can sign up to a compromise deal negotiated with the Essex Chief Fire Officer to bring the year-long industrial dispute to an end.
The majority decision was made after widespread consultation with fire crews and fire officers across Essex and averts further industrial action by firefighters.
Essex FBU Secretary Keith Flynn said: “This is a compromise settlement and represents a victory for common sense in the current economic climate. On the down side, the deal confirms the cut of 44 wholetime firefighters from frontline fire stations and as a result, some of our vital specialist high-reach and rescue vehicles will no longer benefit from dedicated crews.
“Our members continue to harbour serious professional concerns about these cuts and the affects they may have on both firefighter and public safety. However, on the upside, the deal secures protections against future cuts in frontline 999 services for the public and several key assurances for firefighters.”
Chief Fire Officer David Johnson said: “We are obviously delighted that the Essex FBU membership has supported the Brigade Committee’s recommendation to accept the negotiated terms of the settlement, it would be duplicitous of us to suggest that we can deliver any absolute guarantees because of the uncertainty surrounding public sector cuts.
“I would urge the FBU negotiating team to stay focused on the challenge at hand and to co-operate with us as we seek to deliver efficiencies while maintaining services and protecting as many jobs as we can. Now is not the time to be involved in an acrimonious relationship because we all need to work together to protect what is important to us all.
“The agreement we have reached with the FBU was tabled many months ago and the Service’s management team has made it fundamentally clear in all of our discussions that while it remains our ambition to deliver against all the contents, staff have to be aware of the fragility of the agreement.
“During the course of the dispute, the Service has saved a considerable amount of money and steps will now be considered as to the longer-term implications of these savings.”