Unite have announced that Gibraltar Fire & Rescue Service members will be taking their demonstration and protest to Parliament today.

A statement from Unite follows below:

Unite, the union for workers in Gibraltar, have announced that Gibraltar Fire & Rescue Service members will be taking their demonstration and protest to Parliament today (30^th March). Following four weeks of consecutive protests at No.6 where there has been no engagement from Government or Officials, the GFRS membership will set off from the Fire Station at 9.30am and march to Parliament where they will protest up to midday. The purpose of protesting outside of the parliamentary session is to draw cross-party attention to their claim and dispute.

The Unite GFRS membership have then decided to pause their demonstrations and protests for the Easter period as a sign of goodwill and to provide the opportunity for HMGOG to engage directly with the union and Unite GFRS representatives.

Stuart Davies, National Officer for Unite Gibraltar stated: “Members have taken a loud, visual and good natured protest to No.6 for the last four weeks which has been met with significant support; however there is disquiet that there has been no engagement from HMGOG, no-one from Government to meet and address the demonstration, no formal correspondence with the union and just a string of press releases.  This is why our members are taking their protest and demonstration to Parliament to draw that cross-party attention to the dispute.

“Following the demonstration today, the membership have agreed to pause the cycle of demonstrations as a sign of goodwill and to invite HMGOG to re-engage with Unite and our representatives on dispute resolution. HMGOG have repeatedly stated in their communications that they remain open to constructive engagement, but will not be moved by pressure tactics. So I have today written to HMGOG to advise that our membership will be temporarily standing down across Easter and the ball will be in HMGOG’s court as to that constructive engagement that they have repeatedly cited and to enter into positive dialogue”.