Notts: Fire services ‘ground to a halt’ during strike period

The latest fire strike period was far from ‘business as usual’ according to chiefs in Notts.
Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) strike.
Photo by: Owen Humphreys/PA WireMembers of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) strike.
Photo by: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) strike. Photo by: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

The walk-out, which began at 6pm on Friday 31st October and finished at 6pm on Tuesday 4th November, was the union’s longest period of industrial action in its current dispute with the Government over pensions.

Contingency crews across the county continued to respond to 999 emergency calls during the four-day strike by members of the Fire Brigades’ Union (FBU).

A total of 223 calls were received with stand-in teams responding to 75 incidents across Notts.

Chief fire officer, John Buckley, said: “Normal business, much of which is usually carried out by firefighters, has come to a standstill.”

“As a service, we have coped well with the operational demands placed upon us, the impact that four days of continuous industrial action has had on the organisation as a whole has been great.”

“Our usual day-to-day tasks have ground to a halt.”

“The longer term impact on the service is of increasing concern.”

Crews attended a number of road traffic collisions, small fires, rubbish fires, several false alarms and some incidents of ‘controlled burning’ involving bonfires.

After the strike period, Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said firefighters could return to work with ‘their heads held high.’

He said: “We are now asking the public to support firefighters by lobbying their MP’s to get a House of Commons debate on firefighters’ pension and hold this Government to account for their actions.”