Bonfire night firefighter strike cancelled

[Guest Lens]

The planned Bonfire Night fire strike was dramatically called off tonight .

Members of the Fire Brigades Union in London were due to walk out for 47 hours from 10am tomorrow, leaving staff from a private firm to provide emergency cover over the busiest period of the year.

But following a meeting of FBU leaders, it was announced that the union had decided to cancel the strike after concerns about public safety.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: We have listened to the concerns about public safety, and we have watched the work of the private contractors who are supposed to protect Londoners with mounting concern.'

Staff from private firm AssetCo had been lined up to provide emergency cover, using 27 fire engines instead of the usual 150 available in the capital.

But the cancellation of the strike means that that contingency plans for dealing with industrial action will not be needed, something welcomed by the London Fire Brigade and the Government.

'This is a sensible move,' said London's fire authority chairman Brian Coleman.

'These strikes have always been unjustified, unnecessary and utterly avoidable.'

Fire Minister Bob Neill said: I am glad that sense has prevailed. We have said all along that striking on Bonfire Night was inappropriate.

'I now urge the FBU to go back to the negotiating table and resolve this dispute through reasoned debate.'

The fire brigade said that the union had agreed to call the strike off and attend a meeting of the Resolution Advisory Panel an independently-chaired body that can make recommendations to resolve the dispute.

The panel will meet on November 16 and, if an agreement is reached, the brigade said the process of re-engaging firefighters on new terms and conditions would be withdrawn.

London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson said: 'My intention has always been to reach an agreement on proposals that will make Londoners safer and firefighters safer.

'Going to an independently-chaired body to help us seek a way forward is a step in the right direction.'

The union has already staged two eight-hour strikes, claiming that firefighters would be sacked if they do not accept a new shift system.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326711/London-firefighters-bonfire-night-strike-called-over.html#ixzz14ORWUSqU

*edited to replace the sun's article with the daily mail's article*

[Skola]

they were never ODT then

[KayGee]

Does anyone know if the fireworks are still on at blackheath, i was hearing greenwich council backed out with funding?

[Supermalt]

private fire service u know.

didnt it used to be private anyway?

[Trilliam]

Does anyone know if the fireworks are still on at blackheath, i was hearing greenwich council backed out with funding?

lol really? what a joke

[Guest Waka Flocka Dave]

i swear they along with police and hospital workers like nurses n sh*t arent allowed to strike?

[Guest Esquilax]

They shouldn't be allowed to strike

Same as Police etc

[Corrigan]

ESQUI U GOING STREATHAM COMMON?

[Guest Esquilax]

Lol nah bruv, no one to go with/ it's f*ck*ng pissing down

You back on ends or still in Sussex? Or where ever you are

[Corrigan]

sussex mate

u can probably watch out your window lol

[DJ Stashman]

its gonna rain in london tonight

[Guest Esquilax]

My parents room is on the top floor, gonna watch it from there

f*ck going outside

[Corrigan]

spark up a zoot and you will be blessy

[Guest Esquilax]

Ran out of cheese last night

*Sigh*

[Corrigan]

lol you getting that peng food from norbury yh?

[Guest Esquilax]

I get my high grade from good sauces mate, don't you worry about that

[Guest Esquilax]

LOL THERE ISN'T EVEN ANY FIREWORKS ON STREATHAM COMMON DUE TO CUTBACKS

[Skenghis Khan]

They shouldn't be allowed to strike

Same as Police etc

no they should be paid a wage which reflects the importance of their job.

gives me the f*ck*ng hump when ppl/media talk about 'irresponsible fireman' striking.

no, we have an irresponsible government who wants to cut staff and make firefighters work 12 hour shifts.

its a demanding dangerous job, which requires a lot of training, and the majority of london firefighters arnt paid enough to buy a house in the city they protect, high time they recieved better treatment imo.

[Angelo]

They already work 15 hour night shifts.

The proposal was to shift from 9 hour day shifts and 15 hour night shifts, to 12 hour day shifts and 12 hour night shifts.

They're paid 28 grand plus an extra 5 if they live in London.

A lot of people don't earn that amount and in addition don't have the f*ck*ng luxury of striking when they don't get what they feel they deserve.

[KayGee]

Anyone know what time they close the roads for Blackheath

[Grafter]

in some places firemen are volunteers

[Skenghis Khan]

A lot of people don't earn that amount and in addition don't have the f*ck*ng luxury of striking when they don't get what they feel they deserve.

dpmo

a lot of people wudnt run INTO burning buildings for that amount as well.

the fire service has a stringent selection process and requires constant training, every time they go to work they do so in the knowledge that they may risk their lives that day, we would be f*cked without them, they deserve to be treated well, as firefighters are in other countries.

[Angelo]

A lot of people don't earn that amount and in addition don't have the f*ck*ng luxury of striking when they don't get what they feel they deserve.

dpmo

a lot of people wudnt run INTO burning buildings for that amount as well.

the fire service has a stringent selection process and requires constant training, every time they go to work they do so in the knowledge that they may risk their lives that day, we would be f*cked without them, they deserve to be treated well, as firefighters are in other countries.

Don't digress. Singing their praises for doing the job they choose to do is a different argument.

Tell me how shortening a shift by 3 hours and lengthening another by 3 warrants strike action on Bonfire Night (irrespective of whether it was called off or not). And in what, the name of SAFETY?

You know the job when you sign up. The ability of an employee to consciously choose a profession and then leverage against their employer when inevitable changes are made is bullshit.

[Skenghis Khan]

use sum imagination.

getting home at 6pm = dinner with the familly, time with ur kids.

getting home at 9pm = coming home to sleeping kids.

those 3 hours obv make a difference to the 97% of firefighters who were against the change.

there is also a fear that the changes cud result in fewer staff on call during the night, which is when they get the most calls.

firefighters union went in to negotiations and put forward proposals and their management threatened to sack over 5000 firefighters and only offer re-employment contracts if the changes were agreed. the threat to take strike action was perfectly reasonable imo.