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London Fire Brigade wins High Court injunction for Bonfire Night strike cover
More than 5,500 firefighters plan a 47-hour strike from November 5 in a contracts dispute; the court order keeps picket lines from blocking contract firefighters at nine stations on one of the busiest nights of the year.
Why it matters
The London Fire Brigade has been granted a High Court injunction to let contract firefighters work unhindered during the Bonfire Night strike. More than 5,500 firefighters plan a 47-hour strike beginning November 5 in a dispute over contracts — and Bonfire Night is one of the busiest nights of the year for fires.
The court order allows contract workers employed by private firm AssetCo to enter and leave stations without being stopped by picketers. During the eight-hour strike on November 1, picketers prevented contract staff from going in and out of the nine stations they were using — lawful strike action at the time, but the new injunction changes the rules.
Full report
The Fire Brigades' Union said the injunction showed the Brigade had "no interest" in a settlement. A Brigade spokeswoman said the legally binding undertakings the FBU gave to the court should allow emergency fire crews working during the strike to attend incidents "without being hindered or intimidated" and protect Londoners on one of the busiest nights of the year.
The Brigade said it sought the injunction to prevent a repeat of the November 1 picket-line blocking during the longer strike. The underlying contracts dispute remains unresolved, with the outlook for negotiations unclear.
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