Talks planned to stop fire strike

Fire crews are angry about proposed changes to shift times

Fire Brigades Union (FBU) officials have agreed to meet fire chiefs in South Yorkshire to discuss putting an end to industrial action.

The union invited councillors to meet at Wortley Hall near Sheffield at midday on Wednesday before a planned eight-hour strike at 1600 BST.

They offered councillors free transport and a working lunch as an incentive to get the meeting to go ahead.

In a statement the FBU said there was still time to stop tonight's strike.

Ian Murray, of the FBU, said: "The next strike starts at 1600 BST this evening, but there is time to call that strike off if we make the necessary progress.

"We look forward to meeting with the fire service this afternoon."

If it went ahead the planned strike would be the fifth of five consecutive nights of action.

The row in South Yorkshire comes after 744 employees were threatened with the sack if they did not accept new employment contracts to work 12-hour day and night shifts.

The fire authority wants crews to work the new shifts in place of the current nine-hour days and 15-hour nights.

But firefighters have argued this would present families with a range of problems, including childcare arrangements.