PLANS are being put in place to ensure that cover for communities across mid and west Wales remains during the firefighters' strikes.

On January 30, firefighters in the Fire Brigades Union announced that there will be strike action taking place after more than 80 per cent of members voted for strike action.

Some 73 per cent of union members voted – meeting and surpassing the 50 per cent mark needed to allow for action to take place – with 88 per cent of those voting to take strike action.

The union said that since 2010, members have seen a 12 per cent drop in real-term earnings, roughly equivalent to around £4,000 and that around one in five firefighter posts have been cut.

An offer of a five per cent annual pay increase was rejected by the union.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is currently working to ensure that during strike action by forming an industrial action critical incident team.

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A spokesman for the service said: “We acknowledge the individual right of our employees, and indeed all Fire Brigades Union members, to withdraw labour during industrial action.

“Therefore, since the beginning of negotiations between the Fire Brigades Union and the National Joint Council, and the subsequent rejection of the 5% annual pay award offer to firefighters and control operators, the service has been robustly planning for the possibility of industrial action through the initiation of an industrial action critical incident team (CIT).

“Chaired by our deputy chief fire officer, the CIT, which is supported by several cells, is tasked with putting in place business continuity arrangements to ensure we can maintain our statutory responsibility to provide a fire and rescue provision to the communities of mid and west Wales.

“As this is a national dispute on firefighter and control staff pay and not a service specific issue, we will now wait for the FBU to announce its next steps before determining our final approach.”

General secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, Matt Wrack, said they are now taking action because "they have faced a sustained attack on pay for more than a decade".

Adding that the government and local authorities have the power to stop what is happening by "making a credible offer".