All fired up for London action

Firefighters in London have begun their ballot for action short of a strike.

The FBU union members are fighting a raft of attacks, with all sorts of policies being imposed without negotiation.

They include even more stringent sickness rules, with financial penalties for sick firefighters, and a failure to negotiate over shift changes.

FBU regional secretary Joe MacVeigh said hated boss Brian Coleman and his cronies “provoke conflict by embarking on frequent smash-and-grab raids on our conditions”.

The union was holding mass meetings across London to launch the ballot.

The ballot closes on 18 November.