A retained firefighter in Blairgowrie is warning stations in rural Tayside could be forced to close without a “respectful” pay offer.
Fire Brigade Union chiefs have recommended members across Scotland reject a 5% pay offer from the Scottish Government in a ballot that closed this week.
They say the offer amounts to a “real-terms pay cut” of about £5,000 a year as it does not increase wages in line with inflation, currently about 8.8%.
Piotr Gudan, a firefighter for more than a decade, told The Courier: “Over the last 10 years we’ve not had a pay rise that does that.
“This would be the minimum respectful offer.”
Piotr is one of about 20 firefighters in the Perthshire town who are retained, meaning they provide an emergency response from home or their work.
When on call they have to be five to eight minutes from their local station and be able to “drop and go” to respond to 999 calls.
The system is most often used in rural communities, where retained firefighters are paid an annual fee.
When on calls, they earn the same hourly rate as a full-time firefighter.
Piotr, who runs his own outdoor adventure company from his home in Blairgowrie, says the system relies on people who wish to provide a vital service to their community.
He said: “It’s very difficult to find a job where you can drop and go. Being self-employed is a little easier, I don’t need to ask my boss because I don’t have one.
“But when your primary employment gives your main income, it can be hard to justify going to callouts knowing you will take a [real-terms] pay cut.
‘It’s getting harder to recruit’
“A decade ago when I joined, the pay was similar to what it is now but inflation was significantly less. It’s getting harder to be on call and it’s much harder to recruit people.
“No one joins the fire service for the money – it’s not really the incentive for on-call service – but now it’s just difficult to justify.”
Piotr fears recruitment for retained crew members will become harder – potentially leading to a situation where stations like Blairgowrie, Dunkeld and Pitlochry could have no cover.
He pointed to the major fire in Blairgowrie on October 28, where a laundry was destroyed.
He said: “From the Blairgowrie fire, we know how important retained firefighters are.
“Two fire trucks from Blairgowrie could be deployed immediately, but we obviously had back-up from full-time stations.
“It should be a huge statement about how we are needed.
“It’s so difficult to recruit people, there is huge problems in Tayside to find firefighters in smaller places.
‘Dramatic change needed’
“If something doesn’t change dramatically, that will only become harder, and there is no back-up plan.
“Because of geography it would be a minimum of 20-25 minutes to get here from from the full-time station in Perth.
“If it was a slightly more remote place the waiting time would only increase.
“It’s scary to think, and this could potentially happen.”
Mercedes Villalba, North East Scottish Labour MSP, backs the union’s pay calls.
She said:Â “Despite the vital role that firefighters play in keeping our communities safe, they continue to be undervalued by the Scottish Government.
“With the current cost of living crisis and rising inflation, firefighters deserve a real pay rise, not another real-terms pay cut.”
On-call firefighters ‘vital’ – Scottish Government
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “On-call firefighters are essential in keeping communities safe and the Scottish Government appreciates their dedication in responding to emergencies.
“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is reviewing all aspects on retained and voluntary duty systems including recruitment, training and periods of cover to make the role as attractive as possible.”
He said the government is committed to supporting the fire service, which has a budget of £352.7 million in 2022/23, adding: “Firefighter pay is negotiated through UK-wide collective bargaining arrangements, which includes SFRS as the employer.
“The Scottish Government is not part of these arrangements. We encourage both sides to continue negotiating to reach a fair deal for firefighters.”
SFRS declined to comment.
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