Firefighters to strike over eight days

OLDHAM firefighters will be striking for eight consecutive days from Monday next week.

They are taking part in a national strike against Government proposals that the Fire Brigade Union says will see firefighters paying more, working longer and receiving less.

The union has branded the proposals as “unacceptable, unworkable, unrealistic and nothing short of a vicious attack on firefighters’ pensions.”

Strikes will take place:

Monday July 14: 6am–8am and 5–7pm.

July 15: 6–8am and 5–7pm

July 16: 6–8am and 5–7pm

July 17: 6–8am and 5–7pm

July 18: 6–8am and 11am–1am July 19.

July 19: 11am–1pm and 11pm–1am, July 20.

July 20: 7–9pm

July 21: 6–8am and 5–7pm

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “The Government must realise that firefighters cannot accept proposals that would have such devastating consequences for their futures, their families’ futures — and the future of the fire and rescue service itself.

“We have tried every route available to us to make the Government see sense.

“Three years of negotiations have come to nothing because the Government is simply unwilling to compromise or even listen to reason despite a huge amount of evidence showing their planned scheme is unworkable.”

Firefighters are also due to strike on Thursday — the 15th in their campaign — alongside local government workers, teachers and civil servants, who are campaigning over a range of issues, including attacks on pay and pensions and workloads.