This circular is an update to circular 26/14 issued yesterday (withdrawn at request of Force) identifying in detail the position of the Force in relation to VSA’s today.
The latest position provided by the Chief Constable is now to engage in a review of roster patterns (to include DPF membership) at AWE sites only and not across the wider Force at this time, but there is clear intent to do so later.
This clearly requires full engagement and debate and as such the concern that we are under a 56 day notification for the whole Force is now removed.
This will progress through the normal process of engagement and will require, if a change is to be taken forward after consultation and engagement, a further notification allowing officers to make the necessary arrangements to their private lives.
The letter attached at Annex A is the clarity given from the Force. We will engage fully in this review and will look to obtain as much evidence as possible from our affected members to ensure that they are fully represented.
Our response is at Annex B.
As such it is essential that you engage with your local reps, the Area Secretary and also please visit the website and complete the polls which we will publish there, to assist with evidencing our position.
As stated yesterday, it is our position that the issues driving this are related to systemic failure and a lack of available officers, not the patterns which some of us have been working for over 20 years, but we must engage properly in this process and we will do so.
I will, as I stated yesterday, visit AWE and engage with the branch and members to ensure I and the DPF are fully briefed on the issues that you wish to be presented.
Additionally we will look to issue a Force wide poll to gauge the feeling of our membership towards changes to our shift patterns. These will be notified by separate circulars.
Eamon Keating
National Chairman
