.except for the four weeks (five after three years) a year holiday and when there are enough Ffs to provide cover,........ What is meant, I am sure, is that, at that station, they do not need new staff who cannot provide some weekend cover. A problem I had was young RDS staff, able to provide 24/7 cover (full availability) wanting to have the two days a week that they are entitled to take free of duty (for thsoe providing 24/7 cover two periods of 24 hours per 7 are accepted as being within the full availaibility) always as Saturday and Sunday, from 18:00 on Friday to 18:00 Sunday. This would have meant the cover during the week would have been substantially improved, indeed above the required number on occasions, but the die-hard exisitng 6 who already are the only others on weekend cover, could not rely on the increased staffing allowing them more weekends free of duty. It is only fair that the station staff have an opportunity to get time off with their families. Therefore I insisted on 3 weekends out of 4 cover from new entrants and their days off to be more flexibly arranged with other staff.