PressTV.ir
Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:8PM GMT
On Wednesday July 18, about 800 members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in Essex staged a 24-hour strike, which was the latest in a series of strikes in a long-running row over the British government’s planned changes to frontline services.
The union said the Coalition government’s current plans for cuts would cause the loss of one in five frontline crews in Essex since 2008.
"No one wants to go on strike. We have only done so in what is a third year of continuing cuts in frontline services and imposition,” said FBU official Alan Chinn-Shaw.
"Strike action is a last resort and we are calling only short periods of lawful strike to limit the risks to the public whilst highlighting the very serious concerns of frontline professionals. Left unchallenged, the frontline cuts would hit public and firefighter safety 24 hours every day, 365 days a year.”
Meanwhile, FBU general secretary Matt Wrack announced further strike actions such as four three-hour strikes on July 26, August 11, September 5 and October 18.
Furthermore, Wrack declared that the fire service will only respond to 999 emergencies on July 27 and 28, and August 12 and 13.
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Source: PressTV.ir
