London firefighters have announced Bonfire Night strike action,
saying they’ll stage a 47-hour walkout from 10am on Friday, November 5
until 9am on November 7.
The fire service receive three times their usual volume of calls on
Bonfire night, which means that lives could be put in danger.
“The timing of this action appears to be deliberate to cause maximum
risk to Londoners,” said fire service minister Bob Neill. He also
branded the Bonfire Night walkout “reckless and cynical”.
The strike action is being triggered by a dispute between the London
Fire Brigade and the Fire Brigades Union over the signing of a new
contract with changed working hours.
Union bosses are angry that their members must accept the terms or they’ll be sacked.
‘The long-term safety of Londoners depends on a well-trained,
self-confident firefighting force,’ FBU general secretary Matt Wrack
told the BBC. ”If the sackings are lifted, there won’t be any strike,
he continued.”
– Inger Smith
