Little sign of peace deal in bitter fire dispute

Striking firefighters form picket lines at Parr Stocks station

An increasingly bitter dispute between striking firefighters and the service's chiefs appeared no closer to being resolved as the Star went to press.

The Fire Brigades Union says around 200 of its members in St Helens and Whiston walked out along with colleagues from across Merseyside last Thursday in protest over planned cutbacks.

Several rounds of talks between union leaders and their employers had not broken the deadlock by Tuesday evening (September 5).

Strike action was set to run until Friday with a further eight-day strike scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 12.

Since last Thursday the cover for our area has been provided by former firefighters who hold administrative positions at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, but were re-trained in preparation for the strikes.

Merseyside FBU is striking in protest at modernisation proposals, which, they say, could see 120 jobs axed across the region and firefighters working new shift patterns.

Local firefighters are angry at proposed changes that could see staffing levels at Newton station halved and an engine withdrawn from St Helens at night-time. They also fear new shift patterns could see them working 96-hour stints.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is seeking to modernise because the region's fire authority is faced with a £3.5m budget shortfall.