We have been aware for well over a year now that West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue watch our FCCL and personal FaceBook Pages. My personal favourite was Group Manager Richard Veti saying to the then Brigade Membership Secretary David Williams "We know what sort of books she reads" At the time Dave thought we had been rumbled in regard of our attempt to get Gipton Fire Station listed as I was reading books about the history of the fire service and volumes of old watch minutes. But what he actually meant was he had read a blog I had written about my local book club reading "50 Shades of Grey" Then Andy Killingbeck an ill health retired firefighter was dragged in for a pension review and WYFRS cited articles on facebook as a reason they considered him now fit for work.......... and refused to give the names of officers that had "brought it to managements attention" but as that is still under investigation we cant say much about it. It also came into the public domain that WYFRS had actually ordered surveillance on employees by private investigation companies and that Anthea Orchards car had a tracking device attached to it. And this is the stuff we know about !!!!!! What has gone on that has been undiscovered?
When FCCL was just getting into full swing in November 2012 and get loads of hits WYFRS reissued their Social Media Policy to all staff. So we have always known we have been watched ......................................
BUT RECENTLY WE HAVE BECOME CONCERNED THAT IT HAS GOT OUT OF HAND
We have had it confirmed that several serving employees a(and high profile FBU members) are been investigated and potentially disciplined because they have been spotted "liking" pictures and / or articles on Facebook. A header used on West Yorkshire Fire Brigades Unions Facebook page is one of the offending pictures that has been "liked".
There is also the issue of picket lines - like many other Fire and Rescue Services WYFRS have banned the wearing of tunics whilst on picket lines and also banned the lighting of braziers. Now correct me if I am wrong - if ANYBODY knows how to supervise a lit brazier a set of competent and qualified firefighters are probably as good as it gets.
So we would like you to share this handy information leaflet below- to show your disgust at the underhand and most likely illegal practise of monitoring FBU members social media postings. Freedom of Expression is enshrined in European Law.
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Want to be disciplined ? Wear your tunic and light a (controlled) fire.
Then blog, facebook and tweet and wait for the phone call from Simon P and Co. |
