By Cameron Brooks
Aberdeen Press and Journal
GRAMPIAN, Scotland — Grampian’s chief fire officer has been accused of “exploiting” firefighters by backing a campaign to block controversial new European working-time rules.
Labour claim David Dalziel is putting officers’ health at risk by refusing to support proposed legislation to limit the working week to 48 hours.
MEP Catherine Stihler said excessive working hours can lead to mistakes being made, with fatal consequences.
“This is a health and safety law designed to protect workers and consumers from the dangers that working excessive hours can bring,” she said.
“Working more than 48 hours per week on a regular basis can pose significant risks to health, which could lead to depression, stress and heart disease.”
Aberdeen City Council Labour group secretary Willie Young said: “Mr Dalziel is obviously playing with matches and trying to light a fuse by trying to exploit fire officers’ health and safety rights.”
But Mr Dalziel, secretary for the Chief Fire Officers Association Scotland, hopes the European Union will drop the controversial plans because they could impact on 34 retained stations throughout the north-east which are staffed by part-time fire crews.
The rule change would leave retained firefighters who used up their permitted 48 hours a week on their main employment no time for training and firefighting.
Mr Dalziel said Grampian Fire and Rescue Service’s view was in “accordance” with the UK Government, Scottish Government, Retained Firefighters Union and the Liberal Democrats.
Lib Dem Gordon MP Malcolm Bruce has warned ending the UK’s opt-out of the directive “could more than double the costs of fire cover in the north-east, increase average response times by 33% to 50%, and damage the rural economy”.
He says replacing staff with full-timers could double running costs in the north-east from £30million to £60million and require new fire stations.
Fire Brigade Union Grampian branch secretary Alan Paterson said Mr Dalziel’s assessment of the situation was “disingenuous” and had unsettled staff who were awaiting the outcome of continuing negotiations in the European Parliament.
“The Working Time Directive is designed to protect all workers in all workplaces and applies to all fire service staff, regardless of the duty system,” he said.
“Due to the nature of our job, we need to find some sort of compromise and we cannot lose sight of protecting the ordinary worker.
“The chief’s comments at this premature stage have not been helpful.”
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