Dying firefighters in Hampshire given more support as service signs union pledge

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is the latest force to sign the Trades Union Congress’s (TUC) ‘Dying to Work’ charter.

The scheme is a pledge to protect employees when diagnosed with terminal diseases.

The move was welcomed by Mark Chapman, the chairman of Hampshire Fire Brigades Union.

He said: ‘This ensures that those who look after the public are always themselves looked after by their employer in their hour of need.

‘This is about giving peace of mind for those firefighters diagnosed with terminal illnesses.

‘It gives them the assurance that they will be supported and have their rights protected.’

The charter has been signed by countless businesses and organisations across the nation and protects the rights of almost 800,000 people.

It gives workers extra employment protection and has been set up to tackle heartless firms that fail to support their staff when diagnosed with a terminally illness.

Describing the reasoning behind the scheme, the TUC said dying employees sometimes wanted to carry on working to distract themselves from their diagnosis, or leave their job and spend more time with their families.

‘Whichever choice a person makes, they should be able to expect help and support from their employer,’ the TUC said. ‘Unfortunately the experience of many workers is that their employer is either unsympathetic or puts up barriers to them continuing in work.’

Among those to sign the pledge included the Fire Authority chairman Councillor Christopher Carter, chief fire officer Neil Odin, Hampshire Fire Brigades Union’s secretary Gary Jackson along with various trades union representatives.