On the day when the threat of a fire strike ended, Merseyside crews have given the fire authority seven days notice that they will start balloting for industrial action short of a strike because of the failure to withdraw a "cuts package."

A statement from the Fire Brigades Union says the cuts involve the loss of up to 104 frontline firefighter posts.

36 of those firefighter posts would be moved to non-operational work, typically office based work on support staff pay and conditions.

It says the authority has also extended the use of the controversial staffing system at Eccleston fire station which means longer response times, extended working hours and the loss of firefighter posts in breach of an agreement to seek the involvement of ACAS.

But potential strike action over the sacking of union official Kevin Hughes has been halted.

Tony McGuirk, Chief Fire Officer, said: “On the day the Fire Authority reaches an agreement which removes the threat of strike action, the Fire Brigade’s Union confirms a second ballot for industrial action.

“This ballot will be as unnecessary and pointless as the last one.

"Rather than using industrial action as their first resort, the Union would be far better working with us to deliver the necessary efficiencies we need to achieve £5m of savings.

“The authority has spent seven months deliberating over a full range of budget options. They have chosen the ones which have no impact on our services to the public or our staff who deliver the services.”

Les Skarratts, Merseyside FBU secretary, said: “These are real cuts to the number of frontline firefighters in Merseyside which will impact on how we respond to 999 emergencies.

"It will mean fewer firefighters spread more thinly taking longer to get to incidents.

“There have been relentless cuts on Merseyside which have already had a real impact on the number of frontline firefighters we have to crew fire engines and attend 999 emergencies.

"Our ballot is to protect the fire service, all we are doing is responding to attacks on the frontline fire crews which provide that service.

“We’d like the fire authority to reconsider. At this stage there is no sign of that and we will therefore have no option but to ballot for industrial action short of a strike.”