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Fire service advertise £130k role as 80 jobs axed each year

A union has hit out at 'insensitive' fire chiefs after advertising a £130,000 job while firefighter jobs are axed.

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West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority is hiring a deputy chief fire officer.

Chiefs have said the new role will save the brigade money.

But the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) questioned the need for the role while 80 firefighter jobs are being lost every year.

An advertisement for the deputy chief fire officer role went on recruitment websites on the same the union held more strike action.

The FBU is at war with the government over changes to firefighters' pensions and the latest 24-hour strike started at 7am yesterday.

Numerous senior posts have been axed at the brigade in a bid to save £235,000 in annual salaries.

Andy Dennis, secretary of the FBU in the West Midlands, said it was insensitive to advertise for such a highly paid post at a time when strikes were ongoing.

He said: "I question as to whether we actually need a deputy chief fire officer.

"Obviously the West Midlands, as the second largest brigade in the country, needs a management team, but surely the chief fire officer and an assistant should suffice?

"It's insensitive to be advertising for a £130,000 job when we are losing 80 firefighter roles a year due to the cuts."

The post is being advertised now after the fire authority approved it at their meeting last Monday.

The management team will now consist of the chief fire officer, his deputy and an assistant.

Chairman of the fire authority, Councillor John Edwards defended the brigade and said it had dealt with industrial action in a sensitive and neutral fashion.

He added: "I've been raising the firefighters' case at various national meetings

"This dispute is with the government, not us and it's been running for two and a half years with the industrial action going on for 15 months.

"If we placed the action (of recruiting a deputy chief fire officer) on hold for 15 months, then we'd also have had to stop recruiting trainee firefighters.

"We cannot stop the show because the government has failed to settle its dispute with the FBU."

He said the new deputy chief fire officer post was not costing the brigade any extra money, but was in fact saving money.

Councillor Edwards added: "The appointment has come about because we have disbanded our corporate board and replaced it with three brigade managers, which is the smallest of any in the country, saving £235,000.

"We are not top heavy and have, in fact, reduced our costs."

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