Dear Brother/Sister,
Pay discussions 2023/24
When we settled the pay claim for 2022 and 2023, the employers also agreed to begin discussions on some other elements of the pay structure in the fire and rescue service. These included the pay of retained duty system firefighters, the system of CPD, including an examination of possible new systems for pay progression. They also agreed to a new job evaluation comparison for control firefighters.
At the National Joint Council (NJC) in February, reports were provided on various aspects of these joint discussions. The discussions themselves were confidential to enable all parties to speak freely. The assessment of FBU participants was that these working groups allowed the union to make strong arguments for improvements in these areas of pay.
Next steps
I attach to this circular the formal reports or the NJC Joint Secretaries to the full NJC. You will note that the reports do not include detailed recommendations. The question as to whether the employers will make offers or proposals on these issues now sits with the employers’ side of the NJC.
We are pressing the employers’ side to make proposals on pay in order for the FBU to be able to consult our members in time for pay to be settled in time for the scheduled date of 1 July. We are currently awaiting the response of the employers to these issues.
We will provide a report on that as soon as the employers make any such proposals.
Yours in unity,
Matt Wrack
General Secretary
