Northern Ireland fire chief appeals for strike cover to avoid army call-up

A occurrence work main has been accused of “desperate tactics” aft pleading for firefighters successful Northern Ireland to respond to high-risk calls during immoderate strikes truthful that nan service are not asked to screen emergencies successful nan region.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said nan petition showed that nan authorities and managers were “clearly rattled” by a vote past week successful favour of onslaught action.

Fire services successful parts of nan UK are expected to inquire nan service to screen for striking firefighters if, arsenic expected, they return action arsenic early arsenic astatine nan extremity of this month. Any petition for troops to spell into Northern Ireland would raise superior information concerns. Dissident republicans person successful nan past said they would target immoderate British troops who returned to nan land of Ireland.

Northern Ireland’s interim main occurrence officer, Andy Hearn, said: “I americium calling for each [FBU] assembly members to afloat admit and recognise nan unsocial circumstances present successful Northern Ireland, and work together to typical arrangements to negate nan request for subject resources during immoderate play of onslaught action.

“I powerfully judge it is successful nan liking of each stakeholders, particularly astatine this clip successful Northern Ireland, to prosecute typical arrangements for striking firefighters successful Northern Ireland. Should statement not beryllium reached pinch nan Fire Brigades Union executive assembly adjacent week, a petition for subject assistance to civilian authority (MACA) will reluctantly stay a viable option.”

Civil servants successful Northern Ireland raised nan anticipation of seeking screen from nan equipped forces successful December and January arsenic they discussed really to respond to an expected ballot successful favour of a onslaught successful nan region.

The region’s occurrence work has asked nan national connected respective occasions to committedness emergency cover, but nan national is minded not to do so.

Each region tin discuss a abstracted colony pinch nan union. It is understood that nan national has not received a general accrued salary connection from Hearn aliases his colleagues.

The FBU’s main executive, Matt Wrack, said: “This involution shows really disastrously authorities ministers and occurrence work employers person handled nan salary declare from firefighters. They are intelligibly rattled aft nan 94% ballot successful favour of strikes by firefighters successful Northern Ireland arsenic good arsenic nan 88% ballot for action successful England, Scotland and Wales.

“Mr Hearn is good alert that nan reply is for occurrence work employers, including nan Northern Ireland occurrence and rescue service, to urgently make a caller connection to importantly summation nan salary of each firefighters crossed nan UK.”