Threat To Sack All London's Firefighters On Back Of No Strike Demands

Recent demands that health and safety regulations should no longer apply to the emergency services and that the right to strike be removed also is the enabling background to the wholesale sacking of groups of workers if the news from London's firefighters is anything to go by. Once again health and safety is being ignored as the urge to cut costs is forced upon emergency services in general and the London fire brigade in particular at this stage.

Firefighters' union FBU has condemned a threat to fire all London's firefighters for resisting what they believe are potentially dangerous changes to staffing levels and shift patterns. The capital's 5,000 firefighters were given 90 days' notice on 11 August by the London Fire Authority that they would be sacked if they refuse to go along with cuts to night cover. The authority wants to impose drastically altered shifts with longer days and shorter nights which unions warn will leave fewer fire engines and staff protecting the capital.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said:

"Sacking all of London's firefighters as a way of trying to impose new contracts is the action we would expect from Victorian mill owners - not from a modern public service. I am sure Londoners will be appalled at how their firefighters are being treated. We will fight the disgraceful attack every step of the way."

He said there had been constructive talks on the issue until the latest move. The union leader suggested the Conservative-controlled fire authority, chaired by Barnet Tory councilor Brian Coleman, was behind the move and is spoiling for a fight with the union. "I cannot believe the professional firefighters in charge at the London Fire Brigade would have wanted to do this damage to their service" Mr Wrack said. "It may be that this foolish action was forced on them by their political master, Brian Coleman, who seems to have a very personal dislike of firefighters and their trade union."

Source TUC Risks

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