80 fire service jobs to go in West Yorkshire

MORE than 80 jobs are to be axed by West Yorkshire Fire Service as it implements the latest round of Government cuts.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority said 83 jobs are to go to save £2.5m a year.

Fifty people have volunteered for redundancy and 33 are facing compulsory redundancy.

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The authority said the job losses would affect support staff

“A review of support staff is set to deliver £2.5m in savings for West Yorkshire’s hard-pressed fire budget,” said the authority.

“Fifty members of staff, from trainers to technicians, have been granted voluntary severance/retirement and will leave in October.

“Those people without a job in the new structure and who cannot be redeployed will face compulsory redundancy next March.

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“Added to the number of staff who left in an earlier re-structure, the total number of non-operational posts lost since 2010 will be over 100, a third of the support staff workforce.

Unions have been informed throughout the process.”

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Martyn Redfearn said the authority was “struggling with many unpalatable decisions” due to cuts in grants imposed by the Government, and that resources would be

concentrated on emergency services.

“We shall be slimmer and more efficient as a result of these latest changes with more work moved onto the operational staff and focusing on the most important areas,” he said.

More cuts are to come. Between now and 2015 the service will lose a further £12m in funding.

Mr Redfearn said further job losses could not be ruled out.

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The authority said: “Work has already begun to establish if further savings can be established without jeopardising public or firefighter safety.”

No-one was immediately available to comment on behalf of the Fire Brigades Union in West Yorkshire. Other brigades in the region are also facing cuts.