Firemen from the Hong Kong Fire Services Department Staff General Association began voting on Tuesday, on a Fire Services Department offer to cut their weekly working hours from 54 to 51.

The offer falls short of the long standing demand by firefighters that their hours be cut to 48 hours to bring them to parity with the city's other disciplined services.

The voting continues today. Results will be released on Wednesday afternoon.

The Fire Services Department took its own survey, released on August 30, claiming that a majority of firefighters support the proposal to implement a 51 hour work week.

But Lee Tak-kei, chairman of the association, speaking at a general assembly attended by about 300 staff on Tuesday morning, said, "Though the department showed that more than half of the firemen support its proposal to cut working hours, the interviewees could not all have been firemen since they also interviewed civilian personnel and trainees".

Lee said he doesn't object to cut the working hours, but the manpower on the frontline must not be reduced, because that would increase the danger for those fighting fires. Lee also complained that the Fire Services Department's proposal offered no timetable for meeting the union's demands for a 48-hour week. Firefighters have been waging their campaign for a 48-hour week for over 20 years, he noted.

A fireman, who would not disclose his name, said he opposes the department's offer. He commented that the proposal shortens working hours by means of cutting manpower, which means an increased work load for those who are on the job. Another fireman voiced disappointment that the department put forward the new plan without fully consulting firefighters.

Many others had no comment, saying they needed more detailed information about the offer before deciding on which way to vote.

The Director of Fire Services Chan Chor-kam responded that it would be difficult to cut working hours to 48 hours from 54 hours, given the existing resources. The new proposal is expected to be put to the test by the end of the year after consultation with policy bureaus as soon as possible, Chan added.

He emphasized the proposal is only a trial, even if the policy bureaus accept it, many details still would require to be researched during the trial period.

The staff association says it will withold judgment on what it may do next, until the results of the voting are known.

Under the new 51-hour proposal put forward in early August, working hours would be reduced from 54 hours, the number of firemen responding to a 1 or 2 alarm fire would be cut from 22 to 20; if there are calls for additional support from the scene, additional apparatus would be called in, with additional manpower support from the rescue team.

The department conducted a questionnaire survey from August 20 to 25. It showed that over 5,700 firemen were questioned, with 55.9 percent of respondents saying they support the department's proposal. Another 29.6 percent said they were opposed.

fanfeifei@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 09/05/2012 page1)