Essex firefighters walk out over cuts
This article tells us:
“The union said current plans for cuts would see the loss of one in five frontline crews in Essex since 2008, claiming that the public was already waiting longer for fire crews to turn up.
FBU official Alan Chinn-Shaw said: “No one wants to go on strike. We have only done so in what is a third year of continuing cuts in frontline services and imposition.
“Strike action is a last resort and we are calling only short periods of lawful strike to limit the risks to the public whilst highlighting the very serious concerns of frontline professionals. Left unchallenged, the frontline cuts would hit public and firefighter safety 24 hours every day, 365 days a year.”
I once led a parish delegation to Government to campaign against the decision of Notts County Council to close a firestation. That was 22 years ago. At that time the world of the fire service was complex and organisationally confusing. The nature and arrangements for one of the most important and valued services at the local level are still very varied and complex and lack a straightforward template.
By way of explanation here are a few issues : it is increasingly difficult in rural areas to recruit retained (part time on call) firefighters, some fire authorities are independent others are part of local authorities., fire call centres were going to be regionalised and then that fell through with the outlawing of all things containing the “R” word. All of which makes it increasingly difficult for people to understand the pros and cons of disputes like this one, which are ostensibly about budget cuts, but are often underlain by other issues to do with new working practices and the challenges of managing efficient working practices.
I dont know chapter and verse on the Essex case but I would be interested to look in more detail about how it manifests itself in the respective challenges rural and urban communities face in terms of the service they currently receive in the county.