Essex Fire 999 Call Centre Staff Forced To Quit After Changes
6 March 2015, 07:23
Some staff in Essex Fire Service's 999 control room are being forced to quit because of changes to their shift patterns, according to the Fire Brigades' Union.
Staff in the new £8.5 million call centre - which opened in January - now work 12 hour shifts rather than eight hour shifts and the FBU says has led to some leaving because of things like difficulties getting child care.
A three day strike is now taking place next week by staff in the centre in protest to the changes.
Head of the FBU Riccardo la Torre told Heart: "This issue has already seen some of our control operators forced to leave the job, it's forced others out of full time employment and forced them to reduce their hours.
"Unfortunately others are also considering doing so because of child care and family-work-life balance.
"Our control operators are having to start really early in the morning and finish really late at night. It means some are having to get their children up at 5am and they're struggling to find child care at that time in the morning."
Industrial action has been held twice already this year over this issue and another three-day walk-out is planned for next week.
Essex's Fire Service says the changes to shift patterns were brought in following discussions with the unions though.