Union blocks extra fire crews from UK
Tuesday 10th February 2009, 2:30PM GMT.
A bleak scene at the airport yesterday afternoon. It could be miserable again this weekend for families trying to get away for a half-term break unless negotiations guarantee full fire cover, currently being blocked by the union. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0718407)
AIRPORT firefighters’ representatives are blocking plans by the Public Services Department to bring in relief cover to make sure the airport stays open this weekend as the school half-term holiday begins.
An airport management spokesman said yesterday that the crews’ union, Unite, had been contacted last Wednesday with a request that it accepted through a third party that its members would agree to contract firefighters being brought in to maintain minimum cover.
‘As yet, that agreement has not been forthcoming,’ said the spokesman. ‘Efforts to contract in cover will continue, but it will be subject to the union’s agreement.’
Unite regional industrial organiser Ron Le Cras was unavailable for comment or to explain why, if there really is no industrial dispute as claimed, he is blocking the use of additional UK crew.
A spokesman for the firefighters said, however, that he was unaware of any attempt to stop contract labour being brought in and he would have known if such a move had happened.
Campaigns
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
This is Guernsey
Guernsey Press
I am so angry! Why do these men think its right to ruin the general public’s travel plans because they want more money? Potentially my family wont be able to fly over this weekend and I was really looking forward to seeing them after 6months, I’m sure alot of other people are in the same or much more serious situations.
This is typical to be seen in Guernsey (so many aspects dont seem to be in the real world and money is often taken for granted)… I’m sure there have been redundancies there aswell and on a national scale people are losing their jobs left right and centre, how dare they be so greedy- just be glad you even have a job and stop making everyone else lose money in such a difficult financial time.
Report abuse
So good to see an Arthur Scargill clone living in Guernsey NOT
Havent the Union heard theres a credit crunch on times are hard & jobs are at risk
PATHETIC
Report abuse
Sue, Moxey – I salute you both. This is Guernsey’s reputation on the line here. ‘The Union’! – Ron Le Cras should be dismissed with immediate effect and made to live down at The Bouet with no chance of bail. M. Barnes
Report abuse
Nice move! There goes the firefighters chance of receiving any sympathy from the public.
Report abuse
Moxey. Scargill is out of the picture now. Crushed by the legendary Maggie. So are the men he represented and so are their jobs.
It can’t be that difficult to do the same with Ron Le Cras and his puppets. Sack the lot and replace them with fire crews from the UK who want to work.
Report abuse
nice to see the press take a non bias, middle ground, fair non judgmental approach to the dispute. Amazing when a disputes officer is called in, headway is made Immediately. Nobody likes disputes and if meaningful negotiations had taken place, this could have been avoided. It seems to me the P.S.R.C. way of operating has had it’s day, and is causing more problems than solutions. By the way i am not a fire fighter or know any.
Report abuse
This is getting out of hand whos running the airport? not the the managment thats for sure if theres no dispute then these firefighters from the UK should be allowed to come over and cover for the sickness of our underpaid poorly airport firefighters.
Poor managment all around heads should role for this fiasco. Well done to the press for revealing the true salary of these fire fighters unlike the figure issued by their union official last week £6000.00 difference! any one can manipulate figures but it always catches you up. Stop wingeing and accept that you have a well paid job with security and overtime as you please unlike some of us.
Report abuse
Moxey and MB
Well said both of you.
Report abuse
Yet again the Unions and the workers conspire against the general public. There is some irony in a financial centre such as Guernsey continually being held to randsom by the Unions.
Get rid of this ridiculous situation once and for all – sack the existing crews, pass a law not to recognise the Unions and get people in who want to do the job that they have agreed to do.
Report abuse
This is ridiculous! I could not beleive the headline when I saw it. It would appear since Mr Le Cras’ rise to local fame, he and his whipping boys appears to be taking the states to ransom without taking into consideration the bigger picture.
I think it is about time the states fight fire with fire and bring down the union a peg or five. Unions are happy to stir things up when they have safety in numbers. Its time for the states to set ultimatums, accept the offer on the table or look for new jobs.
In this economic climate everyone should be holding on to their jobs for dear life! This should not be a negotiation!
Report abuse
We normally travel to the Islands five times a year for a mixture of business and pleasure, staying approximately twenty nights.
I regret I have put all plans and bookings on hold until normal service is resumed and the relevant parties have assured the travelling public that it will remain so. Other friends who also visit have a similar view.
Reputations for reliability and good service are hard won but easily lost and it will take time for this to be regained even if the parties manage to settle this quickly.
The people and economy of Guernsey will be the losers, not just the travelling public or the bruised egos of the parties involved.
Report abuse
Get back to work! You have no support!
Report abuse
Your are all looking at this from one perspective only. As the partner of a firefighter I can say I have experienced first hand the effect of the lack of staff (resulting in little time off for my partner-particularly on the rare weekend off)-which is primarily due to the pay situation. If the job was so great people wouldn’t be leaving in such high numbers. The problem that lead to the recent airport closures was excessive overtime for which they weren’t being compensated for. Their good will at covering this appalling situation of over a year and a half is what enabled the airport to remain open this long but it was inevitable that a problem would arise as the states were avoiding resolving the situation. How many of you would work all your days off and not expect any compensation? Very few I would imagine and certainly not indefinately!! My partner had only one 2 day weekend off for the whole of last year because he was constantly being called in for overtime. Credit crunch or not-fair is fair and the current situation is not fair and neither is judging a situation without looking at both sides of the argument.
Report abuse
I totally agree! I would love to see their faces if a whole new fire crew was brought in and they were told as they are so adamant they can’t provide the necessary category of cover until the decision from the industrial disputes officer is known, they are all free to resign with immediate effect.
It should of course begin with the resignation of Ron Le Cras who I believe should be thoroughly ashamed of the way he has handled and misled the public over the industrial action to date.
Report abuse
Having read the front page many times, I’m still struggling to rationalise the headline with the content. The Guernsey Press has a definite bee in its bonnet about all this.
The ‘sickies’ were signed off by doctors when they didn’t need to be. The service has no knowledge of ‘blockages’. The airport management hasn’t heard anything.
This is just more anti public sector, anti Union propaganda from a ‘news’paper that has, for some time now, been following an agenda.
It is a caustic drip feed of misinformation and badly written speculation that we Guernsey folk have to absorb seeing that there is a monopoly in newsprint.
There is undoubtedly some ‘politicking’ going on in all this, but to scream headlines that just do not match the piffle beneath is stretching the remit.
Report abuse
I’m due to be flying home this half term. My mother recently passed away and I’m coming to see my Dad and just let those money grabbing lay abouts stop my visit happening. The only reason they have a job is to meet Health and Safety guidelines. My worry is if there was a fire would they know what to do anyway! The states should do what they do best…just over rule and bring in some people who actually want to work.
Report abuse
What a dinosaur Ron Le Cras is. The States should not let him dictate terms and should bring in the extra firecrew from the UK.
Report abuse
MRS states
“My partner had only one 2 day weekend off for the whole of last year because he was constantly being called in for overtime.”
So there is no problem as I see it, advertise for another 6 to 10 more firemen to add to those already appointed. This will end overtime which most probably is paid at time and a half or double time, hence saving cash which will pay for those extra positions.
Everyone is happy.
Oh I forgot, perhaps not the present firemen who will lose their overtime and have to survive on a a very low wage of £ 28,000 per year.
Report abuse
I appear to be in the minority here, but if the States has the money to bring in contract workers, why does it not have the money to pay the airport firefighters more money?
On a more practical note, if both sides would submit to binding arbitration or mediation this could be over sooner rather than later. Yes, there is risk in calling in a third party to resolve the matter, but there is equal risk to both sides, and the side that truly is “right” should be able to persuade a mediator or arbitrator that it is, in fact, right.
Another 3 month “stand-still” agreement on top of the 6 month “stand-still” agreement that expired a few weeks ago is nothing but another plaster on the wound. What is needed is an agreement.
Report abuse
Paul makes a good point.
I just wonder if this is because the negotiators are prepared to make contract payments as a temporary expedient, because they are afraid of the consequences to other public sector workers, of making such payments to the local fire fighters?
Report abuse
sack them there are plenty of firefighters in the uk who would love the job or even better try poland thay will not strike and will work all the hours possibal you have been warned!!!
Report abuse
With recent headlines being about the rise in unemployment, local jobs for local people and more firefighters needed, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to join the dots……….
Report abuse
I think that you all need to wise up. Genuine thoughts can only be based on genuine facts. The airport fire service is in a state of dis-repair and also a no-dispute verdict highlights the fact that there is a problem and its not the firefighters. Sickness is certified and with 100% fitness needed not just coughs and cold prevent them working. Whilst on this subject anyone is welcome to come and try out at the next job vacancy (which are plenty) and lets see who can pass the requirements not only mentally but physically as well. Lets not forget these guys are payed as much for what they know and train intensively for what they could be asked to do and believe me will it take for a major air crash to prove their worth. Lets not forget the town brigade had their pay rise off the back of uk fireman not so long back and these uk firefighters unfortunately but quite rightly had to take action. Now if the airport boys had taken action do you think there would of been any flying at all. Exactly, so wind your necks in! Oh and while were on the subject, all emergency services are way under paid and under valued as are all the valuble nurses. Why do you think uk police officers have to be appointed with all their packages to attract staff over? thats not the answer, pay the local men a decent wage so they can live in their own islands and insure the safety of the public. After all whats more important, life or death and public safety or mundane desk jobs where people are paid obscene amounts of money for doing not alot!
Report abuse
The Industrial Disputes officer has said there is no dispute (fact), the firefighters haven`t taken any action (fact). All they have done is decided to enjoy there days off away from work.
The PSRC were hoping a 3rd party would do their job for them again. Now they will have to negotiate.
If people think this is a cushy well paid job, how come there have been very few applicants when the numerous jobs have been advertised for the last year or so.
Fast Robert, I totally agree with you, the Guernsey Press write what they want to write.
Report abuse
Paul,
If the States pay the firefighters more money (particularly the very substantial amount they are asking for)this opens the floodgates for every other States employee to demand a similar package – it is not just the airport firemen that are feeling the pinch, it is everyone, they would do well to remember that they are towards the higher end of the manual workers PSD pay scale and there are many others doing vital jobs at the hospitals etc that can only wish for £28k a year salary with guaranteed overtime.
If it was that bad having to work extra shifts on top of their normal working week then I’m sure they would have not agreed to provide this extra three months cover, the fact that they were able to be ‘bought out’ so easily just proves that its all about wanting more money.
Don’t forget that this overtime is paid at a minimum of time and a half or double time, its not like they are being asked to do it for no extra money!
Report abuse
>>Why do you think uk police officers have to be appointed with all their packages to attract staff over?<<
Here’s your answer. Again Guernsey has followed the UK procedures of over burdening the administration and burying them with paper. The percentage of feet-on-tarmac to bum-at-desk has swung to the latter massively over the last 15 years. That’s not the bobbies fault that’s management and politicians.
Add to this the police being blamed for all the ills of the world, having to deal with the failures of society and a stupid population that is aggressive, litigious, unforgiving and takes no responsibility for its own actions, who would want to be a policeman?
I hate the phrase, but a ‘back to basics’ in many ways would be useful and instead of the population shouting ‘something needs to be done’ it’s high time that same population reflected on how we got to where we are today.
I’m starting to warm to strong arm politics and a benevolent dictatorship; minus the killing of opposition bit, the tanks and the guns.
Liberal socialism is faltering.
Report abuse
Jackie
I fail to see how you can call the erosion of liberty and the financial ideology of the last thirty years in the UK, liberal (in the sense of not conservative) or socialist (in the sense of society first).
There are more restrictive laws than ever and wealth disparity is getting bigger, faster. That’s where your problems are. We’ve had three decades of right wing ideology and it has failed the anglo saxon (so called)democracies.
You seem to be advocating that we ramp up this failure even more?
Report abuse
FR
I’m better at this than you; always have been :)
Report abuse