Fire bosses have approved plans to cut 140 civilian jobs in the Greater Manchester brigade.
The Fire Authority voted 14-0 in favour of the move, with 15 Labour councillors abstaining.
It will mean cooks at all 41 stations will lose their jobs.
Out of 77 catering staff, 63 will go. The 14 that remain will be based at the force’s HQ, the training centre in Manchester, and technical support workshops in Leigh.
Also going are 13 out of 63 control centre staff, 40 administrative staff, and others in corporate services, including human resources.
The decision was criticised by a union chief, who vowed to continue fight for some of the jobs to be saved. The authority is facing cuts of at least £23m over the next four years.
Paul Warburton, from Unison, said: “I am very disappointed. We had hoped we had made a case for cooks to be kept in the busy stations. The management are good at saving money – they have been doing so for years. There is £5m in reserves for a rainy day, and this is a flood. Some of it could be used to reduce the job losses.
“The review of the administrative staff – the station clerks – is a shambles. The amount of work they do will not reduce when they leave. Firefighters will have to pick it up.
“We will continue to try to reduce the number of job losses and explore the possibility of people being redeployed.
“The brigade is planning to recruit 60 community fire safety advisers but we expect that many of those posts will be filled by firefighters who take early retirement.”
Paul Shannon, a Liberal Democrat councillor and the Fire Authority chairman, said: “These decisions are never easy and we received representations from staff who are understandably upset at the prospect of losing their jobs.
“We hope to implement reviews and any reductions in staff numbers as painlessly as possible by looking for volunteers. However we cannot rule out compulsory redundancies.”
neal.keeling@men-news.co.uk
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Interesting that the Labour councillors abstained, if the 15 had voted against they would have had a majority.
Looks like they'll have to make their own bacon butties now! Try not to burn them won't you!!
MR SHANNON you sound JUST LIKE YOUR TORY MASTERS.
I noticed that the bosses at the HQ, will not have to cook their own meals, I wonder why?????
as always, it's the lowest paid who are being made to suffer. it was the highest paid who got us all in the mess.
has anyone got any ideas how the fire service could save money without job losses????
Paul Shannon, a Liberal Democrat councillor and the Fire Authority chairman, said: “These decisions are never easy ............
no no no, utter rubbish Mr Shannon the coalition management are finding it exceptionally easy to axe jobs, and the pay forthe redundancies out of that £5million in the reserves, after closing down the canteen. I suspect that management may even enjoy it alland go and collect a bonus.
Funny how the unions who have been silent for many years whilst collecting fees and supporting migrant workers to build up their bank accounts are starting to raise their ugly heads. They have organised protests with brain washed students for this weekend in a few citys whilst knowing that this will eat into more public funds due to the fact they seem to be encouraging young people to protest knowing that even they will not be able to manage the outcome as they have not told or instructed them that protest and intimidation tactics are 2 different things.They know that due to the age and immaturity of the children they have enlisted will lead to outbreaks of violence and intimidation towards others who are simperly doing their jobs be the shop staff or the police.
As for the students, the unions also know that many do not even recieve EMA and are going just to cause havoc.
I do feel sympathy for the staff in the fire service that are going to lose their jobs,but they are jobs that we can no longer afford and as firemen are grown adults often with enough free time and not on the shift patterns of old that they should be adult enough to fend for themselves as do most people.We are going to hear these unions making a lot more noise over the coming months if not years, that is only because they are no longer in control as they do not pay this goverments bills and can no longer be unelected rulers.
Cuts everywhere, except in the houses of thieves (sorry parliament) a million £'s a day to pamper or few who do nothing except line their own pockets
Cuts Cuts Cuts is it ever going to end.
Real shame for the people involved, but can't help thinking that the roles they have such as cooks should have gone years ago.
however can't help but think that surely having these people now claiming the dole rather than them being paid for working and as such paying taxes is false economy, in the long term surely the country would be better to have stood the cost.
I would like to ask Councillor Shannon how many fire authority members will be required to run this slimmed down Fire service, or will that particular gravy train not be hitting the buffers just yet. And as a final question is it true that despite all the brouhaha about firemen sleeping at night that the Fire service are now going to, of all things put beds in the dormitory at Cheadle Fire station, Over to you Mcguirk or Shannon
I am annoyed too, as it should have been 250+, lazy lazy public servants.
A very sad day. Wish all the cooks good luck for the future and thanks for a great service over the years.