New fire brigade strikes condemned

FIREFIGHTERS have announced another raft of strike dates in protest against shift changes and a threat to sack 744 crew members—but there will be no walkout on Bonfire Night.The new dates, which start at midnight on November 10 (next Tuesday), were a

FIREFIGHTERS have announced another raft of strike dates in protest against shift changes and a threat to sack 744 crew members—but there will be no walkout on Bonfire Night.

The new dates, which start at midnight on November 10 (next Tuesday), were announced by the Fire Brigades Union on Monday (2) and have already provoked an angry reaction from bosses at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

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Responding to the news of five more days of planned industrial action, Chief Fire Officer Mark Smitherman said: "The FBU are deliberately putting the public at risk. This is wholly irresponsible and unprofessional.

"Myself and the authority will take whatever steps are needed to ensure our contingency remains robust and that there is as little risk to the public as possible."

The action—planned for November 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14—follows a series of strikes which begun on October 31.

FBU officials are determined to fight a proposed change to 12-hour shifts—in place of the current nine-hour shifts—from January 1 and a threat to sack 744 firefighters if the changes are not accepted.

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The union claims that the switch is a prelude to cutting emergency cover during the night and will damage firefighters' family lives.

It has put forward new proposals in an attempt to resolve the dispute, including a ten-hour day shift which, the union claims, would secure more savings and be less disruptive.

FBU regional secretary Ian Murray said: "The last thing firefighters want is to take industrial action, but we will not accept mass sackings as a way of forcing through changes."

But Mr Smitherman claimed that talks between the two parties have fallen down. He said: "It is absolutely clear the FBU have no intention of wanting to resolve this dispute and seem to be more interested in announcing more strikes."

The fire service has repeatedly denied that the changes would lead to any cuts to services.