The Conservatives have attacked the London Fire Brigades Union over planned industrial action. The action follows plans to make them carry defribillators and to receive medical training.
Conservative Fire Spokesman Philip Hammond MP said:
“We are concerned at any sign of back-sliding on the modernisation settlement.
The unions have to accept co-response as part of the modernisation deal but they raise a fair point about adequate training especially in view of the Government’s cuts in the service likely to be reinforced on Thursday if the Government cap any fire authorities.
Medical co-response is, like many strands of modernisation, an excellent idea but it is not going to come cheap. The Government must make proper provision for training and equipping the service to meet its new responsibilities”.
