Firefighters’ union responds to “authoritarian” minimum service levels for fire and rescue

The government has today announced Minimum Service Levels regulations for the fire and rescue sector.

Employers will be able to impose ‘work notices’ to make staff come in on strike days.

The announcement states that during any strike, fire and rescue services (FRSs) will be expected to crew 73% of fire engines and other vehicles.

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary said:

“This is an outrageous and authoritarian plan to seek to ban strikes in the Fire and Rescue Service. The government wants this in place so that it can attack the pay and conditions of firefighters and other workers.

“It’s one of the worst assaults in the last century on the rights of working people to defend themselves.

“The Fire Brigades Union will resist this dictatorial legislation in every way possible.”