Airport firefighters secure 1.5% pay deal

AIRPORT firefighters have been awarded a 1.5% increase - half of the inflation figure they craved – in a tribunal ruling today

The firefighters and the States put their arguments forward at the tribunal this morning in a bid to resolve this year's pay dispute.

The tribunal made its award late this afternoon after just under four hours' deliberation.

Unite the union, which represents the firefighters, wanted to seek a two-year pay deal, however the terms of reference for the tribunal only included a one-year deal, so they were forced to stick to that.

A previous offer of a 2.1% rise – the same awarded to the manual workers – was rejected by the firefighters who wanted a two-year deal to avoid this process happening again in 2014.

Policy Council had offered a 1% pay rise for 2013, arguing that the airport firefighters have been the group to enjoy the biggest rises in pay in recent years. Against the continuing backdrop of economic problems the island faces, it argued an above RPI rise was not in the best interest of taxpayers.