News London fire-brigade strike on... Bonfire night

[Furr]

Srsly.....

 

[rynnor]

In the past they have attended fires whilst striking so not sure the impact this will have.

Its a controvertsial strike - they are striking to avoid changes to shift patterns because this will impact their second jobs. Whether firemen should really have second jobs is a wider question...

 

[old.Tohtori]

That's the best way to strike. On a day that is your jobs busiest.

Just like pre-christmas salesperson strikes, or mayday(where you have it) guard strikes

 

[Raven]

It goes to show how low the unions are willing to go.

 

[Turamber]

Its their right to withdraw their services, and the best way to get their message across is when it has a high impact. Bonfire night is a ridiculous relic anyway, its asking for problems lighting fires and letting off fireworks. Not really something that sits well in our 21st century.

 

[Wij]

In the past they have attended fires whilst striking so not sure the impact this will have.

Its a controvertsial strike - they are striking to avoid changes to shift patterns because this will impact their second jobs. Whether firemen should really have second jobs is a wider question...

Viz did a strip about the typical working life of a fireman. Taxi jobs and being paid to read pr0n was the gyst of it. Respect for the work they do but second jobs are not a right imo.

 

[Furr]

Personally I think it's sick, it's playing with the public's lives as bargaining tools which I find morally wrong, but I don't expect Unions too have morals these days, the well being of Joe public comes second sticking it to "the man" at the moment.

You're attacking bonfire night itself? really? OK, whatever fella. Damn all these pesky cultural traditions, bland societies for all!

 

[Madmaxx]

isnt bonfire night a celebration of a failed terorist attack anyway?

 

[Wij]

Yeh but blowing up parliament...

Who hasn't dreamt of that ?

 

[Madmaxx]

lol

 

[Raven]

isnt bonfire night a celebration of a failed terorist attack anyway?

A failed revolt.

Depends on the victors.

 

[Tom]

Bonfire night was originally a celebration of the King's delivery from "evil", but it soon became a chance to vent one's spleen against Catholics, and the Pope, who was the original "Guy".

Its a 400-year-old relic, and I think a very important link to our history. Long may it continue.

Oh, and the Fire Service are a bunch of selfish twats for intentionally striking on one of their busiest days.

 

[Sparx]

Tube drivers do it all the time on busy days, so did airport staff. This isnt any different

 

[Tom]

They're selfish wankers also.

 

[Jupitus]

Tube drivers do it all the time on busy days, so did airport staff. This isnt any different

Well... frankly it IS different. Tubes and planes are an inconvenience - this is potentially life threatening.

 

[Furr]

Tube drivers do it all the time on busy days, so did airport staff. This isnt any different

As has been said, this is completely different, in the other cases it just really inconveniences people, in this case it could cost people their lives.

All it'll take is one preventable death and public opinion will swing completely against the firemen, those kids that chuck stones at them will be seen as having the right idea.

 

[MrHorus]

Bonfire night is a ridiculous relic anyway, its asking for problems lighting fires and letting off fireworks. Not really something that sits well in our 21st century.

I disagree 100% - it's an important part of our cultural heritage.

Some of my best childhood memories are of my mum taking me down to see the fireworks display each year at the local playing fields.

 

[Scouse]

Bonfire night is a ridiculous relic anyway, its asking for problems lighting fires and letting off fireworks. Not really something that sits well in our 21st century.

Awww Turamber, I feel sorry for you that you've not really been allowed to enjoy bonfire night. Christianity really does suck


Anyway, firemen are a bunch of lazy bastards.

Remember when they last went on strike? They set up a website called 30kfirepay.co.uk telling people why they were worth 30k and inviting people to come and discuss this with them.

I was working at Siemens at the time. We joined the forum and then asked the question "How can you justify 30k when nurses and police both start at around 18k and both have statistically much more dangerous jobs?"

We thought it was a fair question and asked it in the spirit of serious debate, but got kicked off the boards. So we all rejoined and started asking questions. Managed to get Siemens' IP address range banned from the boards by posting a picture of a monkey in a fireman suit alongside some gay fireman porn in a thread started by a fireman who was attempting to invite others to "take advantage of the tragedy of 9/11 and the sympathy it created for firemen" in their pay negotiations...




Anyway. The idea of watching scores of burning children run amok is quite amusing to me. So fingers crossed they do strike eh?

 

[DaGaffer]

Its their right to withdraw their services, and the best way to get their message across is when it has a high impact. Bonfire night is a ridiculous relic anyway, its asking for problems lighting fires and letting off fireworks. Not really something that sits well in our 21st century.

Getting rid of bonfire night wouldn't work anyway; the Irish (for obvious reasons) don't have bonfire night, so they let off all their fireworks on Halloween instead.

Personally I think modern bonfire night is a pussyish emasculated waste of time run by health and safety nazis. When I was a kid we built the bonfires (big fuckoff ones), and the parents turned up to watch without a high viz jacket in sight. Of course there were casualties on the way (I fondly remember the rusty bedspring my brother got stuck in his forehead when he tripped on a mattress we were carrying. And the subsequent tetanus shot and stitches). These days the best chance a kid would have of building a bonfire would be if "Bonfire Builder Xtreme" came out on the Wii...

 

[Raven]

You go to the wrong events then...

We have a great big fire every year in the village, not a health and safety weirdo in site. The kids love it.

 

[Shagrat]

You go to the wrong events then...

We have a great big fire every year in the village, not a health and safety weirdo in site. The kids love it.

who you putting in the wicker man this year then, you decided yet?

 

[Raven]

It ought to be Bob Crow...though not necessarily a representation of him...

 

[Sparx]

The firemen has still said they will still deal with serious emergencies and urged the public not to call with minor things like cats in trees etc

 

[Sparx]

London Fire Brigade has caused controversy by forcing through changes in the current shift patterns and reducing the 15 hour night shift to 12 hours and increasing the nine hour day shifts to 12 hours.

Brian Coleman, chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, said: "Firefighters are going to be striking over plans to reduce a 15 hour night shift by three hours, and add those three hours to a 9 hour day shift.

That is all these proposals seek to do, no station closures, no increase in hours and no change to the four day rest period between shifts. This is about making more time in the day for vital training and fire prevention work.”

I dont really see the problem with that tbh


Fire Brigade: 'H&F can cope with strikes' - Local News - News - Fulham Chronicle

 

[old.Tohtori]

Also, it's not the people who strike against unjust hours or such, it's the people who don't give in that causes problems.

 

[Cdr]

Anyway, firemen are a bunch of lazy bastards.

I was working at Siemens at the time....

You sir, are an internet Hero!

As Sparx said, they'll still deal with major emergencies (as they did with the 2002 strikes), what they won't deal with is the deliberate rubbish fires set by kids, or the stolen cars that are set on fire by thugs, or the multitude of bonfires that people set and then neighbours call in - which make up 90% of their calls on bonfire night. Nor will they do public relation exercises, sticking up free smoke alarms in chav's homes.

But yeah, they're all still ***** eh, if my house was ever on fire, I wouldn't want them lazy bastards round - even tho they're the only emergency service who have to legally attend every single call. And having a second job! Cheeky fuckers! Making a bit of extra money on the side, who do they think they are, they must be the only profession in the world that does that! Bastards.

 

[Ch3tan]

What percentage actually voted to strike?

Don't blame the firefighters till you know this, Unions have far too much power, so blame them.

And I'd support any of the emergency services striking if it was for a good reason; and had a majority of their membership in favour of the action. Unlike the cuntish unions that make up our transport services.

 

[Sparx]

I work for the buses and the drivers voted on a strike like other bus companies voted. Our drivers voted against the strike so didnt go on one, big fuck you to Unite that was granted our drivers are the highest paid in London

 

[rynnor]

What percentage actually voted to strike?

79% of those who voted, voted to strike but cant find what percentage voted - quite high I'd reckon though.

 

[Ch3tan]

Need to know that as well though. I don't really have a problem with them working second jobs where their shifts allow, but it seems utterly petty to argue over a 3 hour shift change, and then strike because of it.