The Court of Appeal has upheld a previous ruling denying a group of firefighters compensation for on call duties performed between 2006 and 2015. The firefighters had sought payment for standby duty under EU working time rules while the fire service was managed by the police. However, the court clarified that the relevant EU directive does not regulate employee remuneration, leaving such decisions to individual member states.

The court also ruled that responsibility for examining the compensation claim lay with the police, which had control over the fire brigade at the time. It found the police's rejection of the claim to be properly justified and lawful. A key factor in the judgment was the absence of any national legislative framework establishing or governing payment for standby duty.

The court emphasized that the legal gap concerning compensation for on call service cannot be addressed retroactively through the judiciary. Therefore, the firefighters' appeal was dismissed, confirming that any future claims would require legislative action.