Richmond and Twickenham fire fighters went back on the picket line this week for their fourth strike in three months.

The firefighters started a 48 hour strike at 9am on Tuesday after talks with employers broke down on Monday. Another 48 hour strike is planned to start tomorrow (Saturday) at 9am.

Martin Simpson FBU branch secretary at Twickenham fire station said talks had broken down because of the insistence of the employers that an improved pay offer could only be funded by the loss of 4,500 firefighters jobs.

But the employers said in a statement: "Meaningful negotiations cannot continue with the threat of strike action hanging over them and cannot resume until the FBU returns to normal working with no future threat to strike."

Speaking from the picket line at Twickenham fire station in South Road, Twickenham, Mr Simpson said: "We must not lose sight of the fact that this dispute is about fair pay for the fire service, achieving a take home wage of £8.50 an hour for the job we do and the service we provide to our communities.

"The politicians have now opened this dispute into a fight to save the level of fire service cover the public currently enjoy."

He added: "At Twickenham we already have experience of the employer's vision of the Fire Service. In the last round of 'modernisation' the number of fire engines at the fire station dropped from two to one, halving the fire cover available to local people.

"Members of the public should think long and hard before they let this happen again. We will be asking them to join us in calling for proper investment in the fire service based on reducing the number of deaths and injuries to the public not simply on cutting costs."

"The public should decide if they want a fire engine to come within minutes when they call for help day or night, or if they are happy to wait and see if one is available."Mr Simpsons said anyone with questions or wanting advice on fire precautions can contact the fire station on 020 7587 4741.

January 31, 2003 10:30