Thousands of firefighters from the country's biggest brigade are to be balloted over industrial action in a dispute about new contracts, it was announced last night. Firefighters in the capital will be balloted following news this month that the London Fire Brigade was starting consultations on terminating their existing contracts and introducing new start and finish times on shifts. The Fire Brigades Union said ballot papers on industrial action short of a strike will be sent out next week, after the brigade did not meet its deadline of 5pm yesterday to withdraw the changes.
The LFB described the action as "totally unnecessary". In a statement it said fire brigade managers have offered to move from a proposed new 12-hour day and 12-hour night shift to a 13-hour day and 11-hour night shift, while ensuring firefighters continue to work two days, two nights and have four days off. "Both sides have agreed all along that discussions have been businesslike and although no agreement has been reached yet, a settlement should and can be produced which will satisfy all parties within the next three months," said London fire commissioner, Ron Dobson. "These changes are about doing all that we possibly can with existing resources to make Londoners safe."
However the FBU said the action was a "last resort" and accused Dobson of threatening to terminate firefighters' existing contracts "if he did not get what he wanted" within three months. "His threat has not been withdrawn, and we are left with no option but to ballot London's firefighters on industrial action," said FBU general secretary Matt Wrack, adding that Dobson had "torpedoed" negotiations which had been ongoing for five years. "Firefighters hate taking industrial action, and will only do so as a last resort." The papers will be returned by 17 September, with any action likely to start from 24 September.
