Bonfire Night nears with fire crews on strike
Talks between the Fire Brigades’ Union (FBU) and local authority employers will be held on Wednesday in a bid to prevent an all-out national strike.
Firefighters went on unofficial strike action yesterday over a delay in their pay increase.
Overall, 23 out of 56 fire brigades have joined the action, with crews only attending to 999 emergencies.
The strikes stemmed from Norfolk where firefighters were the first to down tools. Dave Cutting of the FBU in Norfolk said his members were angered at the two-stage pay increase.
Mr Cutting said: “Our members are feeling pretty despondent and angry and they have reacted accordingly.”
With Bonfire Night historically one of the busiest nights of the year for fire crews, employers are hoping that closure will be achieved today.
Firefighters claim employers have reneged on a promise over pay made in June.
They claim the seven per cent pay rise for November has been reduced to 3.5 per cent.
At least 13 counties in England, plus fire crews in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have come out in solidarity.
FBU leader Andy Gilchrist said his members were “extremely angry” that the pay rise was to be paid in two stages.
He told Channel Four Evening News last night: “It actually talks about 7 per cent paid in full in November of this year, so the letter on Friday does naturally infuriate people.”
But a spokesman for the Local Government Association said the pay increase was conditional on reforms in working practices.
John Ransford said: “We have to see that this change is taking place. The employers are absolutely committed to that and absolutely committed to paying all the money from the due date so long as sufficient information is available.”
