AT LEAST 150 firefighters in Greater Manchester could lose their jobs because of massive cuts demanded by the Coalition Government.
The firefighters will be made compulsorily redundant for the first time in the brigade’s 36-year history as Greater Manchester Fire Service loses between 25-40 per cent of its government funding.
An internal document reveals that one cost-cutting proposal is to cut the number of firefighters responding to 999 calls, another is to close some of the service’s 41 stations.
Chancellor George Osborne will reveal the extent of the cuts facing fire services across the country in his October spending review.
A 25 per cent reduction in Treasury cash to the Greater Manchester brigade over the next three years would mean nearly £19m being slashed.
More than 75 per cent of the brigade’s budget goes on wages for its total workforce of 2,400, including 1,600 firefighters.
Management and the Fire Brigades Union are due to begin talks today about how savings can be made.
County Fire Officer Steve McGuirk has admitted the service faces “an uncertain future” because of government reviews.
Peter Taylor, from the Fire Brigades Union, said: “We are happy to sit down with management and discuss ways of making savings without going down the path of compulsory redundancies. But we will not accept compulsory redundancies.”
Read More: 150 firefighters could be axed in cutbacks
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