Firemen fight with police

Press, 14 December 1977, Page 8

Firemen fight with police

NZPA-Reuter London Striking firemen have fought with policemen and part-time firefighters trying to answer an alarm in Epping, north-east of London, in the first big trouble in a month-old national walk-out by the firemen. Some 200 militant strikers from all over Britain beseiged the fire station at Epping in a show of strength amid signs that the country’s 33,000 full-time firemen are divided over a pay-deal offer made by the Labour Government.

The fighting began when the strikers stopped parttimers, who have not joined the stoppage, from answering the alarm. Militants smashed the windscreen on a fire engine.

Fire Brigades’ Union officials have reported that several strikers were injured in the clash- The police moved in with dogs to break up the brawling. The police reported that one fireman was arrested. The firemen launched their strike on November 14 demanding a 30 per cent increase in their average weekly pay. The Government has refused to breach its counterinflationary pay curbs, which limit increases until next July to 10 per cent of weekly base rates. I However, last week, it [offered to give the firemen MO per cent now, the other 120 per cent coming in two, I stages after the present’ [curbs expire.