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In response to media enquiries on the industrial action to be taken by the Hong Kong Fire Services Department Staffs General Association (SGA) to refuse non-operational duties commencing from July 1 as announced by the SGA, the Fire Services Department (FSD) said it received formal notification from the SGA today (June 29). The department expressed its disappointment at the SGA's decision. The FSD has been actively formulating a new proposal on reduction of weekly conditioned working hours of Fire Stream members and will consult all staff members. The department appeals to the staff members to maintain communication with the management.
A spokesman for the FSD said that the Security Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau, the FSD and the SGA held a meeting on June 6 to exchange views on the subject of reduction of weekly conditioned working hours of Fire Stream members. It was agreed at the meeting that the management and staff sides of the FSD should continue to discuss the matter in the next three months with a view to formulating a feasible proposal that may satisfy the three principles of "cost-neutral", "no additional manpower" and "maintaining the same level of service to the public" together with a proposed timetable as soon as possible for further discussion by all parties concerned after three months.
"The FSD is disappointed that the SGA intends to take industrial action before the end of the three-month period," the spokesman said.
"The FSD management has always attached great importance to the quest of Fire Stream members for reduction of their weekly conditioned working hours. To take the matter forward, the Director and Deputy Director of Fire Services had met with the executive committee members of the SGA and the Hong Kong Fire Services Officers Association on June 14 and 15 respectively to explore feasible ways to reduce their conditioned working hours which might satisfy the three principles. After the meetings, the department has been actively working out a new proposal to make available sufficient resources for reducing their weekly conditioned working hours.
"To ensure that all staff are fully and properly briefed on the matter, the FSD has recently assigned all its Divisional Commanders to meet with their Fire Stream members at fire stations to personally explain to them the management's initial ideas about the new proposal and the gist of the consensus reached at the June 6 meeting. The majority of the staff members responded in a positive, rational and pragmatic manner to the department's initial ideas and hoped that the FSD management could continue to explore various proposals in three months' time (before mid-September) and maintain close communication with the staff. The FSD is disappointed by the SGA's decision to resort to industrial action when the relevant work is still in progress.
"The FSD is working hard to come up with a new proposal in three months' time and will maintain communication with the staff unions and policy bureaux concerned in the process. All members of the Fire Stream will be fully consulted on the new proposal if it is considered feasible and has the in-principle support of the parties concerned. The department appeals to all staff members to take active part in the discussion in due course," the spokesman said.
Regarding the SGA's decision to take industrial action beginning from July 1, the FSD spokesman again appealed to members of the SGA to exercise restraint and maintain continuous dialogue with the management, and added that members should express their views in a reasonable and lawful manner with due regard to the interest and safety of the public and without adversely affecting public services.
Ends/Friday, June 29, 2012
Issued at HKT 21:16
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