London firefighters to strike on bonfire night

[dannyboy]

Well said. Maybe that will shut the mongs up on this thread

wow! what a lot of moronic out of date views in this thread. Especially from someone who is supposedly Working Class Pride? You may think you are in the know.... Maybe you were 20 years ago but things have moved on a lot since then.

For a start most firefighters work 2 days, 2nights, 4 off - thats 42 hours a week. Add into that training courses etc, many of which are on rota days. Other fire fighters work days only, typically 4-5 days a week, again 42 hours. I would imagine thats probably about the average working week in this country? European working regulations stipulate you cannot work more than 60 hours a week on average over a 17 week period. When you factor in overtime (a call coinciding with the end of a shift) and training courses, a firefighter can get close to this limit.

Gone are the days of all Firefighters doing another job on the side, partly because of the above regulations. Im not saying none have additional jobs but certainly not in the masses you seem to suggest. Even if they do.... what is wrong with that? i know shift workers at the airport that have 2 jobs, i know Air Hostess' that do Bar work. I know plenty of other people that have more than one job. Why should Firefighters be excluded?

Firefighters retire in their forties? It used to be the case that if a Fire was incapacitated, he would be pensioned off, with an ill health pension. Maybe this is what you are refering to? Seems to have escaped you that the Fire Service Pension scheme recieved a major overhaul a few years ago. To recieve full pension you still have to complete 30 years service (as it always was!). The minimum retirement age however has increased from 50 to 55. That is the MINIMUM! and lets face it. If your house is on Fire do you want a truck load of 60+ turning up and carrying your family down a ladder? no, didnt think so. Ill health pension.... thats gone too. Now if you are incapacitated they find you another job - either non operational within the service, or within the council. Hope i've managed to dispell that myth for you?

As has been pointed out, Attending fires is only part of the job. In fact it is only a small part these days. As Ednas Stats indicate. With all the smoke alarms these days we attend more automatic fire alarms than we do fires.... a good thing right? but lets not forget the RTCs, the Chemical incidents, the people impaled on railings, the rescues from height, the train crashes, the one unders etc etc etc.

All of the jobs in the above list are, of course, not daily occurances in the life of a firefighter, some are perhaps once in a career but they do happen and i garuntee you they will be trained and highly professional when that job does come along. Why? because far from sitting around playing darts, eating donuts or whatever. Firefighters spend a vast amount of time training for all possible scenarios. Some are trained to extremely high technical rescue standards by any international measure. Thats why they get called to Haiti, Turkey, Indonesia and scenes of other major disasters.... because they are amongst the best in the world.

Think of it this way.... if you have an emergency, you call 999, if you are at sea a lifeboat comes. If it is a matter for the police... the police come (sometimes with the assistance of the fire service). If it is a medical emergency an Ambulance might come (sometimes with the assistance of the fire service). Everything else..... absolutely everything else, you name it..... falls to the fire service.

Then there is the community fire safety work...... Better to stop a fire happening than to have to put one out right? the home fire safety checks, the fitting of smoke alarms for people, the fire safety inspections ...... need i go on?

It really is no longer the gravy train you seem to be convinced it is!

Yes, i suppose you could just go ahead and sack all the firefighters and employ new ones.... in much the same way you could sack all the Prem league footballers and replace them with Sunday League players. It wouldnt work!!!!

There is a huge skills/experience base in the UK Fire service, you cannot replace that overnight. It is a job that relies hugely on experience!

 

[Easy 10]

Would it have anything to do with the fact they are bloody clueless and that’s the reason why they fail?

Pig-ignorant AND racist.

Nice one.

 

[User removed 4]

just to clarify I was pointing out the fire brigade is seen as a closed union shop and black/asians have many say, difficulty getting a job. The main point is however, if the current lot of firefighters resigned, then could we replace them - yes we could, so if they have to, then that is what those in charge of the taxpayers money should do

Fire brigade 'discriminating against white men' - Telegraph

 

[bhaexpress]

There's one thing to remember about Firemen (and women), they can get killed doing their jobs. Granted so can deep sea divers but in turn they get a lot more pay.

 

[Gazwag]

Its a lot easier to get a job as an ambulance driver than a fireman..

Define the "Ambulance Driver" you mean - there are two types - the non emergency taxi driver and the paramedic. I'd wager one is probably just as difficult to qualify for as a fireman

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Define the "Ambulance Driver" you mean - there are two types - the non emergency taxi driver and the paramedic. I'd wager one is probably just as difficult to qualify for as a fireman

In terms of demand not really. You don't need any pre-qualifications to join the fire-service (though the entry is a tough process) but you generally need a degree to be a paramedic.

For me, my opinion on the matter is decided by the fact that the FBU have decided to strike on bonfire night. That's an incredibly provocative gesture that IMHO stems from a fact they they are in a weak position.

Tube drivers are far worse though. A friend works at TFL and he was telling me how for some tube drivers their only responsobility was to push a button to open and close the doors. No driving needed whatsoever. Their reward, 40k a year.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I do feel our fire service is somewhat undervalued.

Here here. The way we relate to our fire service is very different to the way, say, the US do. Mind you ALL US fire-fighters look like George Clooney.....maybe this helps?

 

[The Spanish]

funny how when recessions bite everyone starts moaning about how cushy everyone elses number is.

 

[Rookie]

Good to see the special people were out in force last night

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The fact is firemen have other jobs, retire early in their 40s and 50s, to become builders, window cleaners, and other work.

And what about those who get injured or even worse? Let's not forget it's a risky and tough job at times. Something I could not do, but something I have a lot of respect for.

 

[The Spanish]

i never understand the argument that working two jobs makes you a bone idle drain on the state.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

funny how when recessions bite everyone starts moaning about how cushy everyone elses number is.

Surely we should all be aiming for comfy lifes and good salaries? If people are jealous of train drivers with a good salary and union support then why not become one yourself?

 

[User removed 4]

Surely we should all be aiming for comfy lifes and good salaries? If people are jealous of city workers with a good salary and bonus then why not become one yourself?

EFA

 

[The Spanish]

Surely we should all be aiming for comfy lifes and good salaries? If people are jealous of train drivers with a good salary and union support then why not become one yourself?

i agree. all this they only press a button and get 40k a year nonsense is idiotic. a toxic mix of hearsay bullshit snobbery and jealousy. whats it got to do with you anyway. if you are so proud of your free market then why knock someone who is maximising their earning potential with the least outlay. i am sure there are countless other companies i buy products and services from that have deadwood that costs me, the belief the market automatically removes them efficiently is cobblers to say the least.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

EFA

I could not be arsed with the commute.

 

[User removed 4]

I could not be arsed with the commute.

Sure.

 

[severnside gull]

Discounting all of the arguments about how dangerous the job is and trying (pointlessly in my view) to compare jobs there are two key issues for me.

1. The current state of public finances has to be factored in to any agreement.

2. Striking on bonfire night and thereby optimising the risk to the public is reprehensible. There are 364 other days to choose from

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I'd love too. Firemen are lazy *****. how many ever see a fire and if they do it's heath and safety, by the time they've filled in forms etc the fire is out.

Sack the lot. lazy twats.

Idiot.

As someone that has done a lot of work on all the FSNBF sites and seen the horrific injuries some fireman get ( as well as the mental breakdowns ) I can firmly say they are worth every penny and more.

While on the sites I've had the pleasure of having dinner with some of them and the stories of fires and accidents they've attended curdle the blood.

Keyboard warriors such as you and Working Class Prat wouldn't last two days in the fire service.

Getting back to the original post, even though I support their cause, they really aren't helping themselves by striking on Bonfire night. Here's hoping nobody gets seriously injured because of it.

 

[The Spanish]

Idiot.

As someone that has done a lot of work on all the FSNBF sites and seen the horrific injuries some fireman get ( as well as the mental breakdowns ) I can firmly say they are worth every penny and more.

While on the sites I've had the pleasure of having dinner with some of them and the stories of fires and accidents they've attended curdle the blood.

Keyboard warriors such as you and Working Class Prat wouldn't last two days in the fire service.

Getting back to the original post, even though I support their cause, they really aren't helping themselves by striking on Bonfire night. Here's hoping nobody gets seriously injured because of it.

there is as much chance of them striking on bonfire night as there is of guy fawkes coming back to life and blowing up LFB headquarters. as for a PR own goal, its got the dispute back on the front pages hasnt it. i cannot remember a fire brigade dispute where public sympathy has been as less than unconditional than this, but it seems to me that whatever form contractal changes eventually take LFB will not get their own way in the end.

 

[Lush]

Think of it this way.... if you have an emergency, you call 999, if you are at sea a lifeboat comes.

Lifeboat crew are virtually all volunteers - albeit highly trained - and therefore don't get paid anything.