Essex firefighters strike called off

Essex firefighters' strike planned for Wednesday this week has been called off. The FBU union is now in talks with the employer.

It was to be the latest in a series of strikes by the FBU members, including a 24-hour strike and march in July. A strike during the Olympics last month was also cancelled.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said, “I understand that both sides believe they are close to producing detailed proposals that may be sufficient to bring the dispute to an end. I had no hesitation in supporting the recommendation of our negotiating team that tomorrow’s strike be postponed.”