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Fire service 'will sack 744 who don't bow to shift changes'
SOUTH Yorkshire Fire and Rescue will sack 744 firefighters unless they accept controversial shift changes, union bosses have claimed.
The Fire Brigade's Union (FBU) says it was notified of the 'bully-boy' tactics by fax on Tuesday morning, after the authority met the day before.
The union insists that shift changes, which would see three hours lopped off the current night shift and added to days, would play havoc with firefighters' childcare and family life.
SYFR maintain the changes are part of a 4million scheme that will allow improvements in community safety, and create the capacity for 50 per cent more training.
"The voters of South Yorkshire will be appalled at the way this fire authority is treating its firefighters," said FBU general secretary Matt Wrack.
"This is the worst kind of bully-boy tactics from the worst kind of employer."
"It was cowardly to hold that part of the meeting in secret and keep the debate away from the public. Their cowardice is only underlined by their public statements which fail to make clear they plan to sack 744 firefighters."
"There will certainly be a strong response from South Yorkshire firefighters. The fire authority has taken the road to serious industrial action by this disgraceful move."
He added: "At every stage the fire authority has wanted to impose change rather than negotiate it. This approach has made matters worse and they have now sunk to an all-time low for fire service employers."
"I would expect a public backlash against the fire authority. What they have done is a disgrace and has no place in modern industrial relations."
Discussions about the shift alterations have been taking place since last October, but the FBU has consistently rejected the proposals.
A halfway arrangement of 10.5-hour days and 13.5-hour nights has been suggested and shot down.
"This Authority doesn't wish to consider cuts in services, jobs or fire stations," said chairman Jim Andrews.
"We want to continue improving services and these minor changes to working arrangements will enable us to get the most out of what we have got."
"With thousands of people in South Yorkshire having lost their job in recent months, it is difficult to comprehend the FBU's opposition to this minor change of moving three hours from the night shift to the day shift."
Chief Fire Officer Mark Smitherman added: "Throughout the last 16 months we have consistently asked the FBU and our staff to propose alternative changes which would achieve the same improvements in safety to firefighters and to the public."
"This is a final opportunity to consult with staff on the best ways in which we can free up resources to make these improvements."
A 90-day consultation process will now begin on revised proposals of 9am to 7.30pm day shifts and 7.30pm to 9am night shift from 1st January 2010, followed by the introduction of 12-hour shifts from 1st July 2010.
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Weather for Dinnington
Tuesday 22 May 2012
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