Pay

On Thursday 31 May 2018, the Auditor General for Scotland released her report into the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). The report included the following recommendations to:

• “increase its pace of reform and implement its plans for transformation.”

• “agree as soon as possible, the revised terms and conditions for its uniform staff that reflect the changes to the role planned as part of the programme for transformation.”

On 30 January 2018, the SFRS wrote to firefighters in Scotland and offered them a pay rise in return for broadening their role.

Conference remains committed to negotiate a pay rise through the NJC and acknowledges the work carried out to secure funding in order to progress the campaign for a pay rise as part of the FBU national strategy.

Conference acknowledges that fire and rescue is devolved to the Scottish parliament. As a consequence, they reserve the ability to increase funding for pay in return for broadening the role of firefighters.

The Executive Council policy statement on pay highlights the NJC work streams discussions in identifying potential areas of new work, including emergency medical response and MTFA. These are two areas that the SFRS have indicated that they are now in a position to progress as a result of the £15.5 million additional funding from the Scottish government in December 2017.

Conference now instructs the EC to immediately commence negotiations on the pay offer that was delivered to firefighters in Scotland on 30 January 2018, the negotiations for which we believe can be accommodated within the existing NJC mechanisms.