Fire officials may not be able to form Unions soon

The state government is planning to revive the proposal to amend the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, restricting fire services personnel from forming any association or union without it's approval. As per the proposal, this may threaten and jeopardize public safety.

The State Urban Development Department had proposed amendments in this regard in 2014, on the lines of a provision in the Delhi Fire Services Act.

The amendment was not tabled in the state legislature in the run up to the assembly election. Subsequently, the government changed and the amendment was put on a back burner.

However, after four years, the government is planning to bring back the amendment after seeking the opinion of the law and judiciary department. This move comes close on the heels of more than 20 fire officers from Mumbai fire brigade threatening to resign in the wake of arrest of one of their colleagues in the Kamala Mills fire incident.

Incidentally, there are already four unions comprising three unions representing leading firemen, firemen and drivers and operators and one of officers.

An officer at the urban development department told DNA, "The amendment was proposed on the lines of section 19 of the Delhi Fire Services Act, which says no member of the fire service without previous sanction in writing of the government or of the prescribed authority shall form any union, labour union, political association. If formed after the government's consent, it will be of a purely social, technical, recreational or religious nature.''