| FBU Tayside secretary Jim Malone said the decision appeared to have been made “through the back door” but the announcement over the job cuts signalled “a nail in the coffin” for Labour in the two Dundee seats ahead of the general election next month.
Controversial plans to centralise force control rooms throughout Scotland, with the loss of 120 jobs, has brought fury from the Fire Brigade’s Union in Tayside.
Mr Malone said the Scottish Executive have failed to keep their previously agreed promise of bringing the matter before Parliament ahead of any decision being made.
He said, “In Tayside, there are over 20 control room members who have had uncertainty over their future hanging over them.
“Interestingly this has come out during a general election campaign and it will have a detrimental affect on Dundee Labour candidates.
“The Executive haven't listened. There has been huge opposition to these proposals — from the public, Fire Boards and the employers.
“It would appear that Hugh Henry and Jack McConnell have gone through the back door. The decision regarding control rooms was going to be brought before Parliament but it would appear that a decision has already been made.
“Tom McCabe let slip at the Cosla conference held in St Andrews and yesterday Jack McConnell confirmed these job losses. It would seem that the decision was made last summer when the McDonald report was published.
“They are proposing to reduce the number of control rooms from eight to one, or at the most three.
“It would appear it's now drip feed politics. This has given them a bit of a headache in the run-up to the election. I don't expect an official announcement to be made about the control rooms until after the election.
“Support from the Fire Board and members of the public has been huge and that's what forced the Executive to agree to the consultation but the decision would now appear to have been done and dusted before that has taken place.”
The fire service cuts are part of Executive plans to axe more than 1200 jobs as part of a major cost-cutting exercise.
Ministers announced a £745 million efficiency drive by 2007/08 in a bid to save up to £900 million.
The control, staff along with NHS support services and the new tourism network, will bear the brunt of the cuts, with SEPA, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Forestry Commission all affected. |
