Fire Brigade strikes

[joinerjohn]

So fellow forum bods,,, What do you think of the strike by London Fire Brigade members and the threat of strike action on bonfire night?
During their last walk out on Saturday the Fire Brigade used contract staff to cover the strike and provide some emergency cover. Claims have been made that fire engines and equipment were sabotaged and that there were threats and intimidation of the staff providing cover. At least one fire engine was drained of all of it's water and another was blocked in.

Personally , If anyone is caught doing such reprehensible acts, and putting members of the public at extreme risk, then that person should have the full weight of the law brought to bear on them. If, that person turns out to be a striking fireman, then he/she should be instantly dismissed from the FB , Without any pension, nor right of appeal.

 

[imamartian]

for me, the right to strike is a key right, and should not be stopped....but the fire brigade should realise that the public need a fire and rescue service in place, and they should not hinder that in any way.

But i do wonder why the fire brigade to seem to strike over seemingly minor things.... isn't it changed work hours this time?

 

[joinerjohn]

Yes , it's over proposals to change working shift patterns. At the moment, they work 2 x 9 hr day shifts followed by 2x 15hr night shifts.
The proposals are to work 2x 12hr day shifts , followed by 2x 12hr night shifts, then 4 days off.
WTF, they'll still be working the same amount of hours.
Personally, I think they won't be engendering much public sympathy by striking on the busiest night of the year for the fire brigade.

 

[big-all]

dont forget the greatly reduced night coverage

would you like to be a night time statistic ???

 

[holmslaw]

I used to have a great amount of respect for the london fire brigade. I had a close relation that taught them about the chemical and physical affects of fire. When he died (at a very young age) he was given the full works, marching fireman and his body conveyed on a fire pump.

Since then we've had 9/11, in 9/11 hundredes of real new york fire fighters died trying to rescue people, they were true true heroes, most probably knew they were facing death.

Then we come to our ****** uk firemen, they like to align themselves with the heroic new york firemen. So now they call themselves fire fighters ( instead of firemen), but they don't actually rescue people because they might get a blister or a scratch. And they've now adopted the new york tradition of bagpipers leading any march.

They are patheitic, cowardly and insulting reflection of new york fire fighters.

Sack all of them they are semi skilled arrogant t*****s.

A fireman can be fully trained in one week.

 

[Deluks]

I don't understand the need for changing the shift patterns. The current system has been in place for decades (and works) I can't help thinking that it's a precursor for some other big (bad) change in the future.

Not keen with this idea of striking on bonfire night, but I reckon it's just to put the pressure on during the negotiations. Likely the lads will jump on the wagons if any big incident goes down, just so they can drive home the fact that 'they're all good blokes who just want to save lives'

 

[joinerjohn]

dont forget the greatly reduced night coverage

would you like to be a night time statistic ???

Erm, What's the difference?

Do you think either shift will bugger off back as soon as their shift ends? or visa versa ? The new shift patterns provide the same amount of coverage IE 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.
There's absolutely no difference between a 9hr day and 15hr night shift as there is between 12 hr day and 12 hr nights. 12 + 12 = 24. 9+ 15 = 24.
Basic maths Big-All.

 

[Deluks]

in 9/11 hundredes of real new york fire fighters died trying to rescue people, they were true true heroes, most probably knew they were facing death.

I doubt that any of them knew the towers were going to collapse, and if they did why would they have gone up the stairs? Are you suggesting that suicidal firefighters are a good thing?
Getting killed doing your job doesn't automatically make you a hero.

 

[big-all]

dont forget the greatly reduced night coverage

would you like to be a night time statistic ???

Erm, What's the difference?

Do you think either shift will b*****r off back as soon as their shift ends? or visa versa ? The new shift patterns provide the same amount of coverage IE 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.
There's absolutely no difference between a 9hr day and 15hr night shift as there is between 12 hr day and 12 hr nights. 12 + 12 = 24. 9+ 15 = 24.
Basic maths Big-All.

my maths are very good thanks so not sure what your point is they are reducing night time cover so where do your maths figure in that argument

they are not always back to back shifts
for example where as you had a full compliment on night you will have reduced coverage off perhaps 50 %
you will have somthing like 6 till 6 days and 10 to 10 days with a few say 8pm to 8 am shifts reducing coverage at night

these are not actual paterns but the the reduced night time coverage is a fact that is where the money will be saved

 

[wreckedit]

From the Uxbridge Gazette..

"The current start and finish times also result in a change of shift during both the morning and evening rush hours when fire brigade incident demand is at its highest.

"The changes would significantly increase the productive time available during the day shift for essential training and community fire safety work to be arranged. The proposals would also mean less disruption to services during a crucially busy period of the day."

Not only that they want to change the their terms of contract.

I would agree that changing the hours could be a good thing but messing around with the terms of contract is going to anoy anybody.

 

[joe-90]

Don't forget they are really decorators that do fire-fighting in their spare time. The 15 hour night shift works really well so they can sleep in their dorms and then go to their real job of decorating. Sack the lot of them and give the job to the army.

 

[merlin50]

they should make the fire service part of the armed forces and tell them to join up or leave.

 

[Deluks]

Sack the lot of them and give the job to the army.

Yeh, on top of fighting a war, the army will love that! But of course the army are unable to go on strike so would have to comply with your masterplan. You've got it all sussed haven't you.

 

[Spark123]

But i do wonder why the fire brigade to seem to strike over seemingly minor things.... isn't it changed work hours this time?

It isn't just over the change of shift pattern, it is about being threatened with the sack for not accepting the change in shift pattern.

 

[joinerjohn]

The average fireman works 71 days and 71 nights per year. (142 per year in total) They earn £33,220 for this (in London). They have paid maternity, paternity or pre adoption leave.
They can retire on a full pension at the age of 50 as long as they have 30yrs service.
No wonder the vast majority of them have second jobs. 365 - 142 = 223 days per year in which to earn even more money.

My heart bleed for them ( no really it doesn't)