Braintree district: Firefighters go out on strike (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Braintree district: Firefighters go out on strike

9:12am Thursday 28th June 2012 in Braintree and Witham News

Firefighters are due to go out on their first strike from 10am.

It follows an ongoing dispute between Essex fire chiefs and members of the Fire Brigades Union.

It centres on the reduction in firefighters and how changes are made to the service.

Retained firefighters man stations in Braintree, Witham, and surrounding areas and there are a mix of FBU and Retained Firefighters Union members.

Keith Handscomb, of Essex FBU, said: “I can’t specifically say for each station but some of the firefighters at those stations will be on strike.”

The fire service said it had more than 35 fire engines available, with working crews responding to 999 calls from 20 locations across Essex.

The strike will last until 6pm.

The public should continue to dial 999 in an emergency but should also make sure fire alarms are working.