The Fire Brigades Union has failed to reach an agreement with Essex Fire Authority

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in Essex balloted last month in favour of industrial action “short of strike action” in a dispute over issues including job cuts.

Negotiations this week between the FBU and Essex Fire Authority have now broken down after a failure to find a compromise solution.

Union officials have accused the authority of failing to provide reassurances over jobs, while Chief Fire Officer David Johnson has called any form of industrial action “irresponsible.”

Under trade union legislation, the FBU must give the authority seven days notice of any intended action.

Chief Fire Officer David Johnson said ”We are fed up with this, our workforce is fed up with this and I just wish the FBU would invest as much effort in resolving this matter as they do talking to the press.

“The Service has made it perfectly clear that it wishes to talk to the FBU and their decision to walk away from the table yesterday was simply baffling”

“We are getting on with business as usual and as we stated yesterday as they walked out the door, we are at the consultation table waiting for them to come back”

“Personally I do not believe it is anyone’s interests for the FBU to continue with this immature behaviour and they should stop posturing and start talking”