South Yorkshire Fire Authority is planning to close four fire stations, take three engines out of service and cut 140 firefighters’ jobs (20% of the workforce) by introducing four consecutive 24 hour shifts.
These proposals, out to public consultation until 6 February, are to meet government’s funding cuts of £10 million a year.
This is the same Labour-controlled fire authority that two years ago threatened to sack over 700 firefighters if the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) did not accept new shift patterns.
South Yorkshire FBU members took strike action two years ago against imposed shift changes. They may have to take industrial action again to stop these even bigger shift changes and service cuts from going through.
