All of London’s firefighters face the sack

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

All of London’s firefighters are facing being sacked by Boris Johnson’s fire chief, despite abandoning industrial action. The Evening Standard reports that all firefighters will have their contracts terminated, and will be offered new contracts without negotiation:

“The Standard understands that the authority, led by Brian Coleman, has run out of patience with the Fire Brigades Union after almost six years of talks and will press ahead with its “fallback option” of re-employing staff under new terms and conditions. This is despite firefighters abandoning action – which almost led to a Bonfire Night strike – and 84 per cent of union members voting to accept the recommendations of an independent panel to change their working hours. The authority is expected to accept a recommendation to “impose” new terms unless an 11th-hour compromise is struck on related working practices, with an official document to be considered on Thursday stating: “The authority would have no option but to consider termination and re-engagement.””

This follows Coleman’s threat to “break” the FBU back in November.