Local government

Firefighters in Lincolnshire are demanding private outsourcing firm Serco take urgent action after IT failings that have led to four months of failed salary and pension payments. Serco won the contract to process Lincolnshire county council authority payments to firefighters and other public sector...

Calls for a public inquiry into the £1 million Essex Emergency Fire Control fiasco continue following the new Fire Minister’s visit to the Essex Fire and Rescue HQ at Kelvedon Park on Friday. The mobilising system failure also affects Bedfordshire. The FBU has asked the new Fire Minister and Essex...

Fire Brigades Union (FBU) officials and members in Staffordshire say the fire and rescue authority is out of touch with the public who feel chronically let down over cuts to services in their area. In spite of reserves of £11M, the fire and rescue authority on Monday announced 22 full time...

Firefighters have reacted angrily after a promise to return 13 fire engines to London fire stations was blocked by Mayor Boris Johnson. The Fire Brigades Union says it is concerned the safety of Londoners is being compromised. The fire engines were requisitioned for the use of private strikebreakers...

Firefighters and 999 emergency control staff in Essex are preparing for further strike action over huge cuts to frontline staff. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service plan to cut at least 179 full time firefighters working at frontline fire stations – more than a 25% reduction in the full time 999...

The Fire Brigades Union has expressed opposition to a proposal by Tories on the London Assembly to withdraw free travel benefits from the families of Transport for London (TfL) workers and give them to firefighters instead. A motion from the Tory group calling for the switch will be tabled at a...

Firefighter leaders have challenged claims by London Fire Brigade (LFB) bosses that the number of fire deaths has ‘halved’ in London over the last five years. Figures published today show that 30 people died as a result of fires in London during the year 2014-15. This, says the brigade, represents a...