Strike threat in fire shift dispute
STRIKE action is being considered by South Yorkshire firefighters angry at plans to force them to work a new shift pattern.
They are protesting over plans to terminate existing contracts on New Year's Day and replace them with new ones stating firefighters must work four 12-hour shifts in a row.
They currently work two nine-hour days followed by two 15-hour nights.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service says the new shift pattern is necessary to make better use of resources and save 4 million.
It will reduce the amount of time crews get paid to sleep on night shifts when they are not dealing with emergencies, freeing them up to do more community safety work and training during the longer day shifts.
The Fire Brigades Union claims bosses are trying to "intimidate" members into accepting new terms and conditions.
It claims the new hours would cause problems for members with children, meaning some youngsters could be in childcare for 13 hours a day.
Jerry Pagan, a member of the FBU's Executive Council for Yorkshire and Humberside, said: "Firefighters have already voted against working the new hours and if they keep this stance at the turn of the new year when the new contracts are issued what are management going to do – dismiss their entire workforce?
"The position of members has not changed since the new shift pattern was first suggested by management and I have never known them as angry as they are at the moment.
"They feel management are trying to intimidate them into accepting a chance to their conditions of employment.
A South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "This is disappointing considering we are only at the start of a consultation process.
"Under these proposals, the public and our firefighters would be significantly safer, and nobody would lose their job or any money.
"When you compare those facts to the wider economic situation affecting our region, the threat of a strike would seem a disproportionate response to the simple movement of three hours from the night shift to the day shift."
What do you think? Add your comment below.
BUY ONLINE: Buy The Star - Monday to Saturday - for local news, sport, features and ads. Sign up on line by clicking here.
READ MORE
Main news index
Your letters
Features
South Yorkshire's environmental news
Kids Zone
More business news
More Rotherham news
More Doncaster news
More Barnsley news
Latest sport
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Fog
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
