Firefighters to stage eighth strike tonight (Tues)

Between 6.30pm tonight and 00.30am tomorrow morning, members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will withdraw their labour and emergency crews, who received crash-course training in September, will be called in to provide cover.
While some firefighters at the RBFRS have signed a contract agreeing not to take part in any strike action, the service will be running with decreased numbers and is therefore urging residents and members of the public to take extra care both within the home, on the roads and when taking part in New Year celebrations.
This is the eighth strike to be staged by FBU members over changes to its members’ pension scheme which union officials claim are “unreasonable and unworkable”.
The seventh strike was held on Christmas Eve and during the five-hour period the emergency crews were called to four incidents, one of which was to rescue a motorist stranded in flood water in Hangar Road, Theale.
None of the other incidents were in West Berkshire.
Crews will also walk out between 6.30am and 8.30am on Friday, January 3.
All firefighters, except those working in control centres, also refused voluntary overtime between 7pm on December 27 and 7pm on December 29 after a second ballot of FBU members voted by almost nine to one for additional industrial action on top of strikes.