FireNet Community
FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => General Interest => Topic started by: Peter on March 06, 2005, 08:49:33 PM
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Hi
does anyone know what level within the service the restrictions of 'political restriction' now kick in. I think I can recall seeing some ADO's posts with this tagged on the advert in the past, but where that fits in the 'new order' I am not sure & the LGA website is not clear.
Many Thanks
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Well then, a very interesting question. But here is one for you:
What is political restriction?
Also as a Station Manager I am at the level previously called ADO by some - so should I know, or is this a local thingy?
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fiureftrm Below is info from the LGA Website:-
http://www.lg-employers.gov.uk/recruit/guide/special/political.html
"Certain posts are 'politically restricted' which means that they are effectively prevented from having any active political role either in or outside the workplace. This not only debars post holders from holding political office but also restricts them from canvassing or from speaking in public or publishing a work which might give the impression that they are advocating support for a political party. An authority must hold a list of politically restricted posts.
The posts that are politically restricted fall into three categories:
Specified posts - including head of paid service, chief officers and political assistants
Posts paid at or above spinal column point 44
Sensitive posts - this relates to the duties of the post
Apart from those in specified posts, a postholder can apply to an independent adjudicator to be exempted from the list, on the grounds that they do not influence policy.
It is good practice to inform applicants to a post which is politically restricted that this is the case. This may be a major influence on whether to apply for a job or not. For this reason it is better to include information in the applicant's pack so that a person who is not willing to give up their political activities does not waste the time of both themselves and the authority in applying for the post."
"All posts where the remuneration level is or exceeds the 'spinal column point' 44 on the NJC for Local Government Services scales, which currently equates to a yearly salary of £33,009 (as of 01.04.2004 and rising to £33,984 from 01.04.2005), will be automatically included on the list of 'PoRPs' [Local Government (Politically Restricted Posts)(No 2) Regulations 1990 (SI 1447)]. "
So by that a Station Manager exceeds the threshold - I wondered if anyone had experience of it being riggerously applied.
Peter
Peter
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Never heard of this beig applied to any FRS employee, would this need the agreement of the NJC?
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Its a well establish rule applied to all local authority employees. This includes firefighters. Senior officers cant get into politics. Voting for your own pay rise is something restricted to MPs only.
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There was a London Station Officer (in Fire Investigation) who was ordered to give up his role aa a Tory local councillor.
Apparently (as stated earlier) it was to do with a salary ceiling. If that ceiling is passed you are deemed 'management' and it is deemed you have a conflict of interest.
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A FI StnO (presumably not a flexi-duty post as LFB don't have flexi StnO do they?) required to give up because of the salary ceiling? Only from the full implementation of the pay agreement, because of the protection afforded StnO posts, and now below the ceiling again!
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In my Brigade all the flexi Stn.O's were politically restricted, no one has told me it has been lifted. I gather it was originally based on salary, and you had to appeal if you felt you had no relevant influence.
I guess if I develop any political ambition it will have to peak at the Parish Council, as I believe they do not fall within the legislation, but District and County Councils do!
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In Tyne & Wear there are at least two members serving as councillors. One is a watch manager B.