Three picketing London firefighters have needed hospital treatment today (Monday) after being run over by vehicles driven by strike breakers.
The most serious incident was in Croydon, south London, where a firefighter had to be taken to hospital by helicopter after being hit by a car driven by a station manager.
The driver was arrested and the picket - named by the Croyon Guardian as Tamer Ozdemir - is believed to have suffered a broken pelvis.
Later there was an incident in Southwark when Fire Brigades Union national executive member for London, Ian Leahair was hit by a strike-breaking fire engine returning to its base.
Earlier on there had been 150 striking firefighters and their supporters outside the yard where strike-breaking fire engines are based.
FBU leaders agreed with police that a small group of pickets - including Leahair - would talk to strike breakers while the crowd bayed from across the street.
Speaking on ITV London news tonight FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said he also knew of a third striker who had been injured and needed hospital treatment.
The firefighters are striking over changes to their shift patterns.
VIDEO: Ian Leahair is hit by a fire engine.
A correction to the earlier posting - the member of the FBU executive from London is IAN not Nick Lehair.
ReplyDeleteThere is a protest called for this evening by both the FBU and RMT at the so-called "People's Question Time" with Boris Johnson and Brian Coleman, the Tory member of the Greater London Assembly who also chairs the London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority. He has been to the fore in terms of calls for the sacking of firefighters who refuse to sign up to the next contracts. (Speaking of multiple jobs he is a local councillor in the London Borough of Barnet, where the Tories voted to double their allowances and the same time as pursuing an agenda of large-scale privatisation and big hikes in service charges to local residents).
The protest on Tuesday evening is from 6.30 PM onwards at the Camden Centre, Bidborough Street, WC1H (nearest Tube: King's Cross/St Pancras).
Thanks George.
ReplyDeleteI've corrected Ian's name.