The scum of South Yorks

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 1:53 am

This needs watching.

You can see Coleman rubbing his hands in glee if they pull this one off.

From the Union website:

SOUTH YORKSHIRE DEPUTY CHIEF OFFICER’S SWARBRICK’S CHALLENGE TO PRODUCE THE FAX LISTING THE REDUNDANCIES – HERE IT IS, AND YOU SIGNED IT TWO DAY’S AGO MR SWARBRICK!

South Yorkshire’s Deputy Chief Fire Officer Steve Swarbrick challenged the Fire Brigades Union to produce the fax sent from the authority setting out the notification of redundancies. Please find attached HR1 form, the document which every employer making people redundant has to fill in.

The fire authority has threatened to sack 744 firefighters if they do not sign new contracts of employment. If they do not or cannot sign those new contracts, for family, childcare or other reasons, they will be sacked.

The contents of the form faxed over are clear:

Under “method for selection of redundancy” the answer, filled in by the fire authority, is “All staff currently conditioned to the wholetime shift duty system (other than within fire control)”

Under “reasons for redundancies” the answer, filled in by the fire authority, is “Changes to shifts (please see attached letter)”

Under “number of possible redundancies” the answer, filled in by the fire authority, is “approx 744”.

Under “date of proposed redundancy” the answer, filled in by the fire authority, is “1st January 2010”.

Under “I certify that the information given in this form is, so far as I know, correct and complete” it is signed: “Steve Swarbrick, Deputy Chief Fire Officer” and dated 29 June 2009.

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general Secretary said: “Managers, backed by councillors, are threatening to sack 744 firefighters. This decision was taken behind closed doors at a fire authority meeting from which the public and media were excluded.

“It is ridiculous for the fire authority to deny they are threatening to sack 744 firefighters. They have sent the union the formal signed notification setting those sackings out in detail.

“It is ridiculous for Mr Swarbrick to challenge the union to produce the fax as if there is some dispute that it exists. It is even more bizarre if he has forgotten he is the person who signed the redundancy notices only 2 days ago."

Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:39 pm

Mind you its good to see a very senior officer having to back pedal over this, I am sure this will run and run and London are looking on with interest.