A strike by fire service call operators has been extended over claims of a lack of co-operation from management.

Fire crews are not affected by the ongoing strike which started at 7am yesterday (March 10), but control staff belonging to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) have walked out over changes to shift patterns.

Recently changes made by the Essex Fire Service have made childcare difficult to arrange and taken rest periods from staff, claims the FBU.

The strike is now set to last until 7am March 19, a day later than planned.

Striking staff and union members will visit Westminster on the final day of the strike, and the FBU is hoping to arrange meetings with Essex MPs to discuss issues affecting staff.

Essex FBU secretary Alan Chinn-Shaw said: “The changes made by management are unnecessary and are affecting control staff, the vast majority of whom are women and are being badly affected in this time of austerity.

“We hope to make arrangements prior to the visit but we will be going down either way.”