[ad_1]
The lack of part-time fighters has been known for ten years, but has worsened in the past two or three years. That's what Christer Nyberg, an analyst at Brandmännens Riksförbund (BRF) said, as previously reported by DN.
He believes that it is currently apparent in the forces fighting the worst fires in Hälsingland and Dalarna.
– They work more or less 24 hours a day – take a few hours sleep – and then they start working again. They are worn, exhausted and have a shortage of liquid. They struggle extremely hard, he says, and continue:
– But the reason they continue is that there is none else. The only way to solve the problem is to keep working. They can not sit or go home – so it will continue to burn.
READ MORE: Top SOS Alarm Calling
Two-Thirds Part-Time Work
About 14,500 Swedish firefighters are about 10,000 part-time firefighters. They are people who work primarily with other things, but every four weeks there is an emergency response at a fire station. According to BRF, there would be between 1,200 and 2,500 at the national level. In Västra Götaland the figure is 320.
The reason for the closure of part-time firefighters is, among other things, dissatisfaction with the recent collective agreements. Christer Nyberg believes that this has resulted in a sharp deterioration in compensation levels.
– What is so special about being a part time fire man, is that the whole family involves you. You must have an extra car so that you can drive an alarm, you can not have children at home – you are extremely locked. If the family accepts me as a firefighter, I have to prove that I am getting something, "says Christer Nyberg, himself a part-time firefighter in Arkelstorp, municipality of Kristianstad.
READ MORE: Inquiry: He was a victim of a heart attack at the fire station
New agreement 2019
In the spring of 2019, the next collective agreement will be finalized . In addition to BRF, the unions are also negotiating Municipal and Vision. On the employer side, there are the municipalities and county councils of Sweden and Sobona – which are the participating employers' organizations.
Christer Nyberg fears that the memory of the difficult summer of firefighters will be forgotten early in the negotiations.
– It will be forgotten quickly. But if the next collective agreement is similar to the previous one, we could lose 10 to 15%. We must not forget that part-time workers have a different job and do not depend on it.
He believes that both employers and the public have, in many ways, a distorted attitude towards the rescue service.
– A firefighter is someone who wants to help, contribute and support the safety of society. That's what the employer does. The public takes emergency service for granted when it can call 112 no matter where it is – it's a bit of a problem. It must change.
In DN, Agneta Jöhnk, head of SKL's employer policy department, says that there is a lack of part-time firefighters. However, she believes in solutions other than higher wages.
– Remember that part-time firefighters often receive most of their salary from their main employer. It may be better agreements with employers, so it will be easier for them to let their employees leave the job if they are prepared for emergencies, "he says. it
.
[ad_2]
Source link
