Lock-out threatened in South Yorkshire firefighters dispute

Chief fire officer Mark Smitherman has sent every striking firefighter a letter threatening to effectively lock them out if they participate in the 17 short walk-outs planned over the nine days from 6 November.

Matt Wrack, national FBU general secretary, said: "This is the behaviour of a management that wants to put public safety at risk, not protect it.

"They could have had a full service running tonight, but instead they called a press conference."

Sean Starbuck, national officer, slammed the authority's claim they could run a safer service with contingency brigades: "That lot are used to riding desks, not riding fire pumps. We don't want these firefighters outside the doors, we want them inside. It is a simple issue. We are asking for real talks so that we can get a full service up and running again."

For full article in The Socialist this week see South Yorkshire firefighters and Sheffield First bus drivers

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