ESSEX, ENGLAND--(Marketwire - May 31, 2012) - Essex fire crews are calling on Councillor Tony Hedley, Chair of Essex Fire Authority, to step in and break the deadlock in the bitter fire dispute over unnecessary frontline cuts and changes imposed without agreement. The union says that industrial relations are so problematic that senior managers can't even bring themselves to allow the highly respected national fire service conciliators (NJC Joint Secretaries) to be called in to assist talks.
The FBU wrote directly to Councillor Hedley over a week ago proposing the fire authority simply lift the block on the involvement of the national fire service conciliators (NJC Joint Secretaries) and agree instead to join the FBU in asking both ACAS and the NJC Joint Secretaries to suggest a way forward for talks. The FBU have not yet received a reply from Councillor Hedley.
Mick Rogers, Essex FBU Secretary:
"All we keep being told by the chief fire officer is 'NO' to calling in the NJC Joint Secretaries for conciliation talks. But the lawful trade dispute is actually registered with the fire authority and the responsibility for resolving it rests with the Elected Members of the Essex Fire Authority. The councillors - and Councillor Hedley in particular - have the power and elected authority to step in and break the deadlock.
"No-one can understand why the senior managers in Essex are so determined to exclude the NJC Joint Secretaries. Only yesterday, the South Yorkshire Fire Authority and the FBU have averted the imminent escalation of their dispute by agreeing to the mutually beneficial assistance of the NJC Joint Secretaries as the conciliators of choice. This is an ideal time for Councillor Hedley to step in, to lift the block and allow the professional conciliators to come in and suggest the way forward for talks."
"Essex fire crews are furious at what is going on and will be giving their verdict on cuts and imposed changes. There is still time enough to resolve the issues between us and we are now asking the Chair to the Fire Authority to use his good offices to remove the barriers to serious talks getting underway. But if there is no genuine intention or positive moves to resolve the very real concerns of the frontline professionals then strike action becomes an ever increasing prospect."
The FBU's ballot for strike action closes on 13th June. The law then requires at least seven days notice of any strike action after that date.
The union says the ballot is necessary because the fire authority is imposing changes whilst also planning further cuts. 100 full-time fire station based crews have been axed since 2008 with retained 'on call' crews cut by 60. Further cuts now being planned will bring total losses of around one in five frontline firefighters since 2008. The latest budget review shows underspends of £1.3 million on wholetime firefighters, £206,000 on retained and £136,000 on control firefighters.
Source: www.marketwire.com
London Welsh set to step up promotion push - espnscrum.com
London Welsh are unlikely to dwell on their RFU Championship triumph for too long before resuming their battle to overturn a decision to block their promotion to the Aviva Premiership.
The Exiles wrapped up the second tier title with a 29-20 victory over Cornish Pirates at the Kassam Stadium on Wednesday night having taken control of the contest with a comprehensive 37-21 victory in their first leg clash. But their hopes of stepping up were dealt a major blow last week when their application to join the country's elite was rejected by the Professional Game Board - a decision later approved by the RFU.
Club officials have previously vowed to fight the ruling, based largely on the 'primacy of tenure' requirement in the all-important minimum standards criteria, and with the Championship silverware now secured, they are set to step up their quest to realise their dream of bringing Premiership rugby to the Kassam Stadium - the home of Oxford United FC and their proposed new home should they be promoted.
"I don't want to get into threatening mode at this stage but let's put it this way, we are certainly not just going to lie down and be trodden on," said managing director John Taylor. "We are very sure that we have a very, very strong case and we've already taken some legal opinion on this and I think there is a huge groundswell of support for the London Welsh position."
Taylor also believes whatever the outcome of the Exiles' appeal - the relationship between the Premiership and the Championship has reached "tipping point".
"I think whatever happens things will never be the same," he said. "Everybody knows that if the RFU want a second tier of professional rugby they have to be seen to support it. This is their Championship, they created it, they are the ones who stepped it up a notch to try and turn it into a fully professional league rather than part-time professional.
"The feeling is that even if we were to be in a situation at the end of it for whatever reason we didn't win this appeal, and we are going to fight it very, very hard, things will never be the same again. They will not be prepared to go through this again at the end of next season. I don't think the message is that the Championship will not be a stepping stone to the Championship, it will be the absolute tipping point, and the whole thing will become much more integrated after this."
Like Taylor, club chairman Bleddyn Phillips is hopeful that the matter can be resolved successfully without going to court but it remains an option. "In an ideal world we would hope still that these things can be kept out of court but obviously we are not going to prejudice it by not appealing - that's for sure," said Phillips. "We're always hopeful that the spirit of the game and the way it is played on the pitch prevails and we can keep this out of the courts and conduct the appeal within the sporting arena."
A formal appeal is likely in the next day or two and Phillips is pressing for a swift resolution. "Time is of the essence and any legal process has to happen in a very expeditious fashion," he said. "I think therefore we have to try and resolve this in weeks clearly rather than months. That is terribly important for the sport generally because lots of other people are affected by it."
His sentiments were echoed by Taylor who added: "It is absolutely imperative. It's only three months to the start of next season so the thought of court proceedings and the like for all of us is a route we do not want to go down but that is not to say that we will back off. Because we won't."
Source: www.espnscrum.com
London 2012: Games security staff '40% local' - BBC News
A total of 40% of Olympics security workers are from boroughs close to the Games site, a report has said.
Security provider G4S said 10,500 candidates from the six host boroughs are currently undergoing security screening and training.
More than 100,000 people have been interviewed for Olympic-related jobs, with 3,000 already deployed.
Olympic organisers Locog committed to recruiting locally for jobs in retail, catering, cleaning and security.
'On target'At least 40% of G4S's Olympic workforce is set to come from the local boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.
Mark Hamilton, managing director of G4S London 2012, said: "It was always our intention to mobilise a large part of our workforce from the six boroughs around the Olympic Park in east London.
"I am delighted that we are on target to secure the services of thousands of local people who will help make the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games safe and secure.
"I am also thrilled that so many have come forward to seek work. They have a very responsible, and I hope rewarding, part to play in the sporting extravaganza and they are helping to add to the buzz of excitement that is building around London 2012."
Most of the 23,700 security jobs will end after the Paralympics in September, but G4S said they will have gained valuable qualifications and work experience to help find more employment.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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