RFU start twittering
In an effort to keep our members informed and up-to-date with the latest Fire Service news the RFU has joined twitter. The 'twitter' phenomenon has grown in popularity over recent months due to it being given celebrity notoriety by stars such as Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry, the micro-blogging site will enable the RFU to display messages to 'followers' of our page and be in receipt of news as it happens - http://twitter.com/rfunion

RFU create Facebook group
To progress the 'Community' feel that being an RFU member brings we thought it would be appropriate to create our own group within facebook. If you have an account with facebook please feel free to join the group and contribute!

Operational Guidance Programme Board
A project has been commissioned within FRD Research and Statistics Division to identify and assess current guidance published or inherited by Communities and Local Government (CLG) for legal liability and currency of information, this extends to over 5000 pieces and does not include around 1000 items of guidance published through the New Dimensions programme.

This piece of work has been taken on by the Chief Fire & Rescue Adviser (CFRA) unit headed by Sir Ken Knight. The board contains all the usual stakeholders (inc. the RFU) with the first meeting having taken place on 5th March (minutes available on request).

Up for a much needed review is the 'Technical Bulletin 1/97 (Breathing Apparatus Command & Control)', with a separate group meeting next week at the Fire Service College. If you are interested in being kept updated with this piece of work please contact RFU HQ.

Working Time Directive update
Having written to every MEP back on 10th December 2008 prior to the vote within the European Union we received a number of positive responses. However you may be interested to read extracts from those politicians who voted in favour of removing the Opt-Out.

'Most MEPs voted to end the opt-out (but not the SNP and Tories in Scotland) as they felt it was important to protect workers and consumers from the risks in working excessive hours. This was supported by the Fire Brigades Union, which represents 11,000 of the 14,000 retained firefighters in Britain.'
David Martin, Labour MEP (Scotland), Midlothian Innovation Centre, Pentlandfield, Roslin, Midlothian.

'The FBU represents 11,000 of the 14,000 firefighters who work on retained duty, so it represents the vast majority of them.'
Andrew Dismore, Labour MP for Hendon

It is clear that MPs and MEPs have been speaking to the FBU regarding this important issue which is only right and proper, this being the case let's indulge ourselves and assume that the figures referred to are correct, this presumably means that the FBU has canvassed their RDS membership (apparently 11,000) and the vast majority are quite happy for the Opt-Out to be removed at the expense of their income and/or fire service career - somehow I don't think that this is the case do you?

So if you are Retained and not in the RFU who is representing your views on this?

John Barton
National General Secretary