Staff association sets 3 conditions for working hours compromise

The Hong Kong Fire Services Department Staff General Association says firefighters are prepared to accept a cut in their work week to 51 hours, but they are holding to certain conditions.

Firefighters are demanding that the Fire Service Department agree that the cut would be an interim step toward a 48-hour week; that there be no reduction of manpower under the reduced work week; and that the department set out a time table for realization of the 48-hour week.

The association met with the Fire Services Department, Security Bureau and Civil Service Bureau on Thursday to discuss the firemen's demands over an issue which has dragged on for 20 years.

"We accept the 51-hour proposal as a transitional plan, but there must be a timetable and road map about the 48-hour week," said Lee Tak-kei, chairman of the association. "We suggested three years to six years to finally reach the 48-hour (work week) and the department said they will actively consider".

Lee emphasized that firemen could not accept reducing the number of firefighters on the frontlines as a pre-condition to accepting the reduction in working hours from 54 to 51 hours a week.

The union and the various departments will meet again, not later than next week. If the department is able to put forward a concrete timeline for a 48-hour week at that time, the firemen's association will consider accepting the plan, to be put to the test by the end of the year, Lee added.

The association insists on the 48-hour week to give firefighters parity of working hours with the city's other disciplined services. Lee added the staff association will not rule out initiating a three-day sit-in at the government headquarters at the end of this month, if the department fails to offer a timetable.

Under the new 51-hour proposal put forward by the department in early August, weekly working hours would be reduced from 54 hours. However, the number of firemen responding to a 1 or 2 alarm fire would be cut from 22 to 20, but the number of the fire engines would be unchanged.

When there were calls for additional support at the scene of a fire, additional apparatus would be called in, with additional manpower support from the rescue team.

Earlier this month, the firefighters' association members voted to reject the 51-hour proposal, saying reducing manpower as the price for shortening working hours would increase the danger and work load for those who answer an alarm.

The spokesman from the department responded that the department has promised to consider the requirement from the association that reducing the working hours of each week to 48 hours within six years, but the department also emphasized this timetable would be affected by many factors, such as required procedures in different stages in the future, and the progress of the trial.

He said there are timetables and roadmaps in the new 51-hour proposal, indicating that if the new proposal was approved by the authority after a trial scheme was implemented and reviewed, and then a working group will be formed to look into the feasibility of further reducing working time to 48 hours.

The department has considered the following principles when formulating the new proposal, which is cost-neutral, needs no additional manpower, and maintains the same level of service, he reiterated.

fanfeifei@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 09/14/2012 page1)