Firefighters Strike....Yes or No?

[Mr_AWOL]

1 or 2 out of 40? i think that is a little harsh on the british public (or at least those who actually WANT a job) If my comments are based solely on newpaper readings, then what are yours based on? FBU monthly magazine? Laurence Larmond even had the cheek in August to say "we're back in the position where firefighters working 42 hours a week, serving their communities, are having to claim benefits." 21,500 is above the national average wage and therefore this claim is ridiculous!

One point remains - WHY do firefighters deserve more than they already get? They say is is because some of them earn as much as they can, but that is not entirely true, they have merely reached the highest grading. They say it is to do with the danger factor, but when you think of how many people are paid less, but are in more dangerous positions:-

Most dangerous jobs:
1. Fishermen
2. Merchant seafarers
3. Aircraft flight deck officers
4. Railway lengthmen
5. Scaffolders
6. Roofers and glaziers
7. Forestry workers
8. Quarry and other mine workers
9. Dockers and stevedores
10. Lorry drivers
Window cleaners, police and the armed forces are all more dangerous jobs than being in the fire brigade

(Rant over )

[GordyB]

Cool rant

It seems to me that we are never going to agree on this one, all i am trying to show is that there are 2 sides to the story . But i am not quoting from the FBU magazine !.

It is true about the selection though, you should try interviewing some of them. I am not saying that everyone one is like that but a vast percentage are.

The pay increase is not to do with how dangerous the job is, that risk is reduced by training, experience and having enough Firefighters to tackle the incident safely. Reducing the number of stations and Firefighters will cost public lives, the sad fact is though that the public never get to hear about it due to the media.

21500 then take out pension contributions(granted you dont have to be in the pension scheme) and wages do drop below the average and Firefighters ARE claiming benefits.

Firefighters deserve more money because they have already modernised, by visiting schools, educating the public, fitting smoke alarms etc and for no substantial increase in pay.

I am sure every point that i make you will have an arguement against and likewise I have an answer for everything you can say too.

At the end of the day most people never need the fire service but that once in a lifetime when they do, when their whole world is going downhill fast if you talk to them then, firefighters are worth every penny and more, (stange that i seem to Remember Mrs Thatcher saying something similar after being dug out of the Brighton hotel following the bombings!!)

I am not trying to change anybodys mind on this matter just inform them that there are two sides of the arguement thats all and the press only tends to show one

Carry on with rant if you like

[Mr_AWOL]

Cool rant


Carry on with rant if you like

OK then i will! :redhot: :redhot: :redhot: :redhot: :redhot:

[CB]

You just dont get it do you, the old pay formula which was well out of date would have given a pay rise of around 3-4%, now the deal is 3-4% and cuts and so called modernisation?, how does that work then?. And how do you suggest a campain to get more money for new appliances would work?. Should Firefighters go out and collect for it at the local supermarket ?. The problem is the general public only want the fire serivce when they need it , basically when they are in trouble, then Firefighters are everyones best friends. At the moment Fire services are punished for doing a good Fire safety job and driving calls down, they have thier budgets cut !!. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but it is afact that you wait for Police to attend incidents and the same with ambulances, when you dial 999 when your house is on fire the last thing you want to be told is "sorry we've got no one available at the minute, we will get someone around as soon as possible". Trust me if the government has its way that is what you will be looking at!!

Gordy, before I "start" can i just say that I love a healthy debate, and my opnions are exactly that, my opinions, and I in no way wish to offend anyone...
cool.

OK...The pay increase of 3-4%. I agree it is hopelessly out of date. My payrise this year has been announced at 3.2% If you are at all interested have a look at how much Britains Armed Forces have been "culled" since 1990 and "Options For Change". We have basically been pared to the bone. In the times we find ourselves in now, I hope to God Britain doesn't need troops on the streets...we had to 'modernise', which meant reducing this countries cover. Luckily, you the public, haven't needed our protection on the homeland front. I hope that in light of the now very real terrorist threat this continues to be the case.
As for firemen with collecting buckets...surely I'm not the only person that has seen them do exactly this on a regular basis outside supermarkets, in town centres etc? :
You are right in saying that the public only want the fire service when they need it. That is logical. I only want Tescos when i need it, or Halfords, or McDonalds etc. Doesn't mean i'm campaigning for higher wages for their staff....
Apologies if my arguments here seem a little 'confused' but i'm supposed to be sleeping off nights and got woken by the neighbours. I'm currently doing the job of 3 people because guess what? Yep, the other two have been sent to the Gulf!!!!

[CB]

BTW,

I imagine because you're "pro-more money for firemen" your name isn't short for Gordon Brown is it Gordy B? :

and also, this poll has been runniong a few weeks now and until a couple of days ago the vote for giving the firemen all they ask for and more has shot up from 1 vote to 11!!!!!!!! Dare i suggest shenanigans are afoot?

[rob]

well there hasnt beena recent rush of extra registrations so I assume not. I noticed this last night so checked out if poeple had been making lots of extra accounts but it doesnt look like it.

Maybe it was firemen voting, maybe they didnt have time before what with all their part time jobs

[GordyB]

Firefighters do go out collecting at supermarket but this is for charity, mainly for children with special needs etc. don't think shenanigans are afoot, well not on my part anyway . And wouldnt have thought it was Firefighters voting before going out to do there extra jobs because there arnt that many with second jobs, but thats the media influence again for you

[Mr_AWOL]

1. A 4% payrise on £20,500 is £820 a year increase, or an extra £45 take home every month on an already reasonable salary.

2. There is a lot of 'dead' time in a fireman's job, so they can never expact huge salaries.

3. The firefighters are always banging on in the media war about how they only want to help people.

Therefore, give em 4% or even 5%, but make it on the basis that they have to get off their ar5es and back to work.

Rightly or wrongly, the longer this goes on, the less likely the firefighters are to win. This forum shows that (apart from a suspicious recent surge) most of us think that they are greedy bu**ers!

[rob]