Union claims 700 fire jobs at risk in Yorkshire

Firefighters held strike action several times last year

A fire authority has revived plans to sack more than 700 firefighters in South Yorkshire in a row over shift changes, union officials have claimed.

A series of strikes were held last year after 744 firefighters were told they would lose their jobs if they did not accept 12-hour day and night shifts.

A breakthrough was reached when fire chiefs agreed to bring in mediators, but negotiations broke down last month.

Fire chiefs denied anyone was losing their job.

In a statement, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "The union has already caused the South Yorkshire public to miss out on £3 million of service improvements.

These are the worst kind of bully-boy tactics from the worst kind of Victorian pit owner Ian Murray, FBU

"No one is losing their job and no one is losing any money.

"It is a minor change of three hours from the night shift to the day shift to make major improvements to public and firefighter safety.

"Time is now of the essence so we have started individual consultation with affected staff in an attempt to resolve this dispute."

But the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said letters had again been sent threatening dismissal.

Ian Murray, FBU regional secretary, said: "These are the worst kind of bully-boy tactics from the worst kind of Victorian pit owner.

"At every stage managers have wanted to impose change by dictat rather than by agreement."

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service originally wanted crews to work 12-hour day and night shifts instead of nine-hour days and 15-hour nights.

It said adding hours to the day shift from the less-productive night shift would result in improved safety and more time to train firefighters.

Following talks with the fire service, the FBU recommended a proposal of 11-hour day shifts and 13-hour night shifts.

After it was rejected, members were given until 1700 GMT on New Year's Day by the fire service to reconsider the offer, but they said they would not do so.

Now the FBU has given the fire authority a deadline of 0900 BST on Friday to return to the mediation service Acas to resolve the row or face the threat of further industrial action.