Fire service shift row escalates

The chief fire officer said he is open to further talks with the union

Letters are to be sent to firefighters in Lincolnshire informing them they will be sacked and offered their jobs back under new terms and conditions.

The move follows a two-year dispute over proposed new shift patterns.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said the changes proposed by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue were unfair because they would mean less pay for its members.

A three-month consultation period has begun between the 112 staff concerned and fire officials.

But Lincolnshire's chief fire officer, Mike Thomas, said he was still open to discussions with the FBU during that time.

"It's our intention to work through the differences and find an agreement," he said.

"And if we don't find an agreement and we impose the change on the staff then we'll have to ensure that those changes allow us still to continue the service that we currently provide.

"At the end of the 90-day consultation staff will be given notice of dismissal from their current contracts and offered a new contract with the new terms and conditions."

In a statement, the FBU said: "The chief fire officer and county council seem to be prefer to sack their members rather than reach an agreement through constructive discussion."

The union said it thought the sacking of its members was "ridiculous".