Luke

Unlike the tube drivers who deserve bugger all!! you guys do deserve a good wage. I reccon all here would agree.


BUT A STRIKE ???????? Are you guys for real????? You dont strike.What the hell do you think a group of soilders will be able to do in a smoke filled house or a major disaster??? You are leaving us to fend for ourselves.

First the Army should tell the Goverment to thuck off big time.They dont have the training nor the equipment.

You guys must stop the strike....forget the money thing..you will get it. Use us the public to demand it from the Goverment.But when people die because you lot are on strike.....Well you will loose all the respect you have built.

Stop been monkeys.

GarnetFox

I've been thinking that. I guess they make their point if people die during the strike because they don't have the fire brigades assistance. I can see what they are doing but it's such a drastic, life threatening thing to do.

Regacy

hear hear.
Every sympathy for your cause.
BUT STRIKE?
People WILL die as a result.

Luke

Dont be suprised when all jobs in this country are held by immigrants who will work for the money and all the English will be unemployed.

avonvilla

And just how are they going to get there demands met if they dont ?

Katana

Why not take this opportunity to burn all the speed trap cameras in the UK? There'll be no fireman to put out the flames..

fireman_sam

V. mixed emotions around all stations, I can ensure you.

the strike times have been looked at while taking into consideration fire death numbers going back many years. We dont really want to go on strike but if we have to we will and we will try to ensure that (despite being unpredictable) we strike at the appropriate times so as not to endanger lives. We are also, at the mo. going round offering alot more community fire safety and fire safety advice to workplaces so as they have fire plans in place and are extra vigulant(sp)

MattN

It's a bit like terrorism I.e. threating life to get more money or some such.

I really don't see how this is any different from the actions of Osama Bin Laden. Kills innocent people to further himself.

Markus

I don't think there are many people who will begrudege the firepeople a raise. If the only way to get this is to strike, well, so be it.

I think the point is that if they strike there WILL be a loss of life, and thus public uproar and hopefully the employers will give them the wage they deserve.

I know I'd shout scream and curse the fire service if I needed them and they were on strike and a loved one died, but, it would as stated have proved a point.

Getting the Army in is a major joke, read in the paper the other day that an army barracks was on fire, where green goddesses were stationed and they had to call in the fire service to put out the blaze, ummm, and these are the guys that are going to be trying to save us, ok, not really fair comment as they have not had the years of traning and experience that the fire service has had.

AnDy_PaNdY

This will backfire big time for the firemen, especially once people die as a result.
I hope they can live with themselves as a result.!!!

joni

Is there a problem with recruitment into the Fire Service?...Er no. This surely is the true economic test for pay review. Hence for instance Health service staff grades receiving rises.

However when you compare Firefighters salary with say Tube drivers current package, The heart says something ain't quite right.

jaf01uk

"We dont really want to go on strike but if we have to we will and we will try to ensure that (despite being unpredictable) we strike at the appropriate times so as not to endanger lives"

So the weekend of 5th of November is an appropriate time?
I also agree that the train drivers settlement has caused a lot of problems including the ambulance and fire but striking 6 weeks before the pay review results are published?

PG

despite the large number of calls on Nov. 5th and around then figures show there are very very few involving properties.
The main types of fires are 'fire in the open' which have no life risk.
One of the main points to come from this weekend will be to give an indication on how hard a fire control staff work.
Our watch visited our control lastnight, this was the first time I had been there, 'Hectic' was an understatement ! ie. for 1 fire in particular the recieved 23 calls in the space of a few mins.
We were there for an hour visit, during which our machine was turned out 3 times. All small fires in the open but one with the added bonus of a load of wee ba$tards with bricks ![img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

mista weava

i'm sorry but 40% pay increase is an absolute pi$$ take. 40%!!!
they clearly are more interested in the money, than the nature of their work, if they are prepared to strike and ask for such a ludicrous increase. give them some more dough for sure but 40% - i nearly fell over.
i hope that the one thing blair does in my view that is any good this year, it will be **** them. IMHO we as taxpayers cannot stomach this action. tactfully over nov 5th too is beyond the pail.
weava

PG

lets not look at it as 40%.....think of it as FF looking to get £8.50 per hour, does this seem unrealistic??

Taxpayers cost.....42p per household per week

The only reason it is such a large hike is becaues we have been overlooked time and time again. Our union has been asking for a new pay formula for a long time now and it has sadly come to this

ustolemyname??stevieturbo

iTrader: (1)

They deserve a rise. It is ridiculous that they should have to strike to try and get a decent wage. They are basically having to beg the Blair government for something that any hard working person deserves, especially considering the nature of their job.

It boils down to one thing. GET BLAIR OUT OF GOVERNMENT

cookiemonster

except that

a) there is no problem recruiting into the fire service - the level of pay isnt seen as an issue by those wanting to join

b) these recent pay claims came after the yearly budget and salary rises were agreed - leaving the government with no room to manouveur

c) firemen work 4 on 4 off and the majority have second incomes (dont know about you but every employment contract I've had has forbidden this)

d) they're allowed to carry out personal tasks while on duty - so they can do their shopping, etc, etc


Its a difficult one - but I feel the same about the teachers in that they dont really know how good they've got it.


The "sack blair" stuff is just purile.

boomer

Maybe if the government didn't waste so much money on point-less things (such as the Dome, the new Wembley stadium, several hundred million propping up British (radioactive) Energy, the West Coast line, preparing to bomb Iraq, etc. etc.) they could afford to give the firemen (and nurses and teachers...) decent pay!!!!!

mb