The announcement by GMFRS on 27 October that it was no longer planning to issue Section 188 (of the Trade Union Labour Relations [Consolidation] Act 1992) notices was welcomed by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: ‘This is a very welcome move that will allow both parties to engage in discussions about the detail of the proposals to implement the planned cuts to the service’s budget without the threat of action by either party.’
He added: ‘The FBU has confirmed that it will participate fully in talks facilitated through the independent Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) with both parties engaging constructively in discussions to ensure the safety of the public.’ The TAP talks begin on 29 September.
Had the plans gone ahead, the firefighters’ contracts of employment would have been terminated and only those who agreed to the new 12 hour shift patterns would have been re-employed.
The FBU acknowledged that the proposed changes were the result of continuing cuts by the current government. The GMFRS has made £28 million of cuts, with the government imposing a further £14.4 million over the next four years.
Approximately 20,000 members of the public signed a petition against the plans to dismiss the firefighters and the FBU’s campaign against the plans to sack and re-engage its firefighters won support across the media.