Fire union issues new ultimatum to bosses

Martin Slack

UNION leaders involved in a dispute over firefighters’ shift times issued a new ultimatum to fire chiefs last night – and said further strikes were possible if an agreement could not be reached.

Fire crews in South Yorkshire returned to work on November 4 after a series of walk-outs over changes to shift times, and talks took place between the two sides in December.

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Managers want firefighters in the county to work two equal shifts of 12 hours instead of the current nine-hour day and 15-hour night, but the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has consistently fought the move.

The brigade claims the move could produce efficiencies of more than 4m by cutting the hours firefighters spend asleep, but the union claims it is not family-friendly and paves the way for night-time cuts.

During recent talks management and union leaders agreed to move forward with a compromise plan for 11-hour days and 13-hour nights, but that deal was rejected by union members.

On December 30, fire chiefs told the union it had until 5pm on New Year’s Day to accept the compromise deal or to agree to go to conciliation service Acas for a binding decision.

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The deadline was missed, but following a meeting yesterday the FBU said it wanted to go to Acas and challenged managers to meet union officials before 8am on Friday.

A further complication in the talks has been brought up after the FBU insisted that its starting position with Acas must be from the original position of nine-hour days and 15-hour nights.

Brigade bosses, who have now moved to individual consultation with each of the 744 firefighters involved, claim the union agreed to start from 10-hour days and 14-hour nights.

FBU branch secretary Ian Murray said yesterday that no new ballot would be required if members decided further strike action was necessary.