GFRS protest ‘misleading narrative’ in pay dispute

Firefighters marched from the fire station to No6 Convent Place challenging the “misleading narrative” in a continued dispute over pay on Thursday morning.

The Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service have staged protests throughout the past month over a long-running night-shift disturbance claim, describing how the pay structure does not recognise the additional impact associated with these working patterns.

The GFRS firefighters have said the issue centres on the impact of repeated night-time emergency disruption.

They highlighted that emergency night work, and its long-term fatigue and health implications are widely recognised across fire and rescue services and medical research.

Firefighters said these conditions should be properly recognised within a safety-critical service and have raised concerns that this has not been fully acknowledged in current discussions.

The Gibraltar Government responded to the demonstrations by publishing their salaries, but a statement from the GFRS firefighters has called this misleading.

The firefighters said they are disappointed by attempts to undermine their professionalism, adding that the issue has been “misrepresented in public commentary”.

In a statement, firefighters said that any claims they are paid enough lack context.

“GFRS firefighters work an intensive shift system averaging 56 hours per week, significantly exceeding the standard civil service 37 hour working week, and often undertake additional hours to maintain operational cover, training, and specialist capabilities,” the firefighters said.

The statement added this is not reflected in public messaging and note that their basic pay is lower than the UK average, despite the wider operational demands placed upon them.

The basic salary of a GFRS firefighter was £40,656 compared with £42,474 for a UK firefighter.

The GFRS firefighters have sought to clarify the basis of its claim, which it said is grounded in the Government’s existing shift disturbance policy, where day shift workers receive a 12.5% allowance, while roles involving night work meet a 20% threshold.

The firefighters said the request is a 7.5% differential between the two shifts, in line with how the policy is applied elsewhere across Government, to recognise the additional demands and disruption associated with emergency night shift work.

The Government has previously said the claim for a 7.5% pay rise for ‘night shifts’ over and above “their already fair remuneration will not be entertained”.

“All we are asking for is fair recognition of the demands and disruption associated with emergency night shift work, and governments return to the negotiation table,” the firefighters said.

The firefighters described how an independent service review found the GFRS operates effectively, “with skilled operational and support staff who are clearly proud to serve the community of Gibraltar.”

The firefighters said the report also highlighted the level of specialist capability within GFRS, noting it would be considered “excessive” compared to a UK fire station, due to the training and competence required.

Firefighters added they subsequently requested Government, through Industrial Relations, to undertake a full-service review to assess conditions of service, risk, capability, and future requirements. They add that the exploration of a night shift disturbance claim was originally suggested by governments Industrial Relations, not initiated by firefighters.

The salaries have been compared to the Airport Fire and Rescue Service and the GFRS has said their claim has been mischaracterised as being directed against AFRS, which is not the case.

“The intention has always been to achieve a fair and consistent approach across both services, noting that any future night working undertaken by AFRS would also qualify for the same provisions under Government policy,” the firefighters said.

The Government has also said there has been impropriety in the claim, describing how it was disappointed that the GFRS demonstrated using tax-payer funded equipment.

In response, the firefighters rejected this claim stating that proper procedures were followed, the Government was informed in advance, and no damage was caused.

They also raised concerns regarding the application of disciplinary procedures.

Firefighters added that the current situation has arisen following a breakdown in direct engagement, noting that while Government has expressed a willingness to continue discussions publicly, no direct re-engagement has taken place.

The GFRS said the claim is a role-specific operational matter linked to: the nature of emergency response work, the frequency of night-time disruption, and the need to recognise these conditions appropriately.

The firefighters reaffirmed their commitment to Gibraltar, stating they remain professional and dedicated to serving the community.