Hundreds of firefighters gathered in Gloucester on Wednesday, June 18, to protest against new shift pattern changes enforced by the Conservative administration and upheld by the incoming Liberal Democrat leadership. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has voiced deep concerns about the shift change from 9am-6pm to 8am-7pm for full-time firefighters, warning it could force many out of the service.
More than 70 firefighters from across Gloucestershire raised alarms about the potential financial strain caused by increased childcare and caring costs amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Approximately 50 protesters assembled outside Westgate Street ahead of the county council’s cabinet meeting. Supporting the demonstration were striking hospital phlebotomists, showing solidarity with the firefighters.
Kate Yhnell, FBU brigade chair for Gloucestershire, harshly criticized the chief fire officer’s leadership, describing it as a “wrecking ball approach.” She condemned the decision to push ahead with unworkable shift patterns, saying, “Forcing firefighters to work exhausting shifts will only damage the service they provide.”
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At the cabinet meeting, Councillor Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton), chair of the fire and rescue scrutiny committee, presented a report recommending the abandonment of the shift changes that would alter wholetime shifts from nine-hour days and 15-hour nights to 11-hour days and 13-hour nights. Hilton highlighted receiving 73 emails from firefighters expressing strong opposition and not a single email supporting the changes.
The committee conducted a private session earlier this year, hearing from senior officers, union representatives, and frontline firefighters. Hilton emphasized that the shift pattern changes would erode trust and morale, creating childcare challenges, especially affecting female firefighters more than their male colleagues.
Acknowledging the concerns, fire cabinet member Paul Hodgkinson (LD, Bourton-on-the-Water and Northleach) thanked the scrutiny committee for their report and recognized firefighters’ dedication. However, Hodgkinson stated the cabinet would not overturn the shift changes but preferred resolving the dispute through third-party arbitration.
He noted, “The current shift system has not been reviewed for 50 years,” and highlighted the financial pressures facing the council. Hodgkinson emphasized the importance of creating a resilient, future-ready fire service and described the arbitration process as a way forward to ensure all parties are fully engaged.
Despite claims by council leaders about prioritizing staff wellbeing, the public gallery, filled with firefighters, greeted these remarks with visible skepticism and laughter. Ultimately, the cabinet agreed to note Councillor Hilton’s report, leaving the contentious shift pattern issue unresolved as the arbitration process begins.