SIR – Oh no here we are set to go again, with yet more strikes by firefighters planned!

But isn’t it time their employers, the taxpayer-funded local authorities got their act together by following the lead given in Scotland and give the Fire Brigades Union the ‘Grangemouth’ option – ie accept what is on offer or try your hand elsewhere?

The firefighters are being misled into allowing themselves to be used as ‘pawns’ in the ‘opposition’ political games of the Labour party and its union paymasters, just like the staff at the petrochemical works in Scotland were.

Public perception of firefighters is still very good, but for how much longer when they continually abrogate their responsibilities by striking?

Many are of the opinion that those with life-saving duties should, like the police, not be allowed to strike.

Nor should they forget that for each and every vacancy advertised at West Yorkshire Fire Service Training HQ at Birkenshaw there are always more than 400 applicants!

Everyone of them could easily be replaced, quite possibly on far lower terms and conditions of employment including pensions, especially if ‘privatisation’ was considered eventually, which can never be ruled out.

D S Boyes, Upper Rodley Lane, Leeds