Janine,

I refer to your e-mail of 17 January 2012 and it has been circulated to the Union ‘s Bargaining Team for their consideration.

However, initially I would say Firefighters and their Union are very disappointed you have rejected our very sensible and reasonable proposal to settle the C.A. negotiations.

The proposal from the Union did propose alternative wording that addressed our concerns and it is surprising that you cannot see that.

It is similarly not surprising that the Union, after considering for 15 months the employer/management’s proposal, still seeks some certainty as to how its firefighter members might be expected to work.

All of the employer/management’s proposals (and there have only really been two) simply casualize the workforce, reduce their earnings, and fail to recognize the reality that firefighters (particularly compared to others in the Fire Service) are significantly underpaid.

If management were genuinely  concerned about firefighters (the people that actually do the work the Fire Service is established to provide), then these negotiations would have been concluded long ago, and certainly the Union’s latest proposal for settlement would have been accepted.

As I stated at the beginning of this communication, the Union will be in further communication once the Bargaining Team has considered your reply.

The Union notes your contention that the employer/management has not breached the B.P.A.

Regards,

Derek Best