Striking firemen ask for “fair deal”

Firefighters across West Yorkshire are striking until 5pm today (Sunday) over planned changes to retirement and pensions, and Fire Brigades Union’s Yorkshire representative John Iveson believes the government gave them no choice.

Speaking at the picket line at Dewsbury Fire Station today, he said: “When I first started 28 years ago, West Yorkshire had 1,700 fire officers – there are now just 1,100, and the number of fire stations has gone down too.

“We now attend much more floods and road traffic collisions – we have had to modernise so we want the government to at least give us a fair deal, but they have moved the goalposts.”

“I would like to thank members of the public, as they have given us great support so far today in Dewsbury – as they always do.”

Firefighter Mick Loney believes a fit fire service is important, and that the conditions of the job take their toll on the health of older crew members.

He added: “We are fighting against plans that will put the public at risk – the government wants us to work until we turn 60, which would mean they would be relying on an ageing service.”

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Dave Walton insisted West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service had sufficient backup, but warned members of the public to be vigilant.

He said: “Our contingency crews will be responding to incidents but we will have a reduced resource available.

“Prevention is always better than cure, so please do your bit to stay safe so you don’t need to call on our limited resources during strike.

“If you are planning a barbecue please bear our safety tips in mind. Likewise, those who plan to spend the day gearing up for the World Cup game, which kicks off as strike ends, do remember that excess alcohol consumption can heighten the risk of fire in the home.”