Strike raises fears over nuclear power plants

Union boss seeks assurances that safety will not be compromised, as £1.8m campaign is launched

Key parts of industry could be hit by a firefighters' strike, it emerged last night as one of the country's biggest unions said it was "inconceivable" that the economy would not be affected by the stoppages.

The warning came as Britain's state-owned nuclear power operator said that, while it had drawn up contingency plans, some processes could be stopped if safety could not be guaranteed.

John Edmonds, general secretary of the GMB general union, said his members in the chemical and nuclear industries were deeply concerned about safety without the back-up of local authority firefighters.

"Our members are aghast at some of the statements made by ministers in recent days. There are a number of particularly sensitive sectors such as the chemical and nuclear industries where there are very real safety concerns," Mr Edmonds said.

"The attempt by the Government to brand those concerns as politically motivated is frankly an insult to the workers on those sites. The Government must realise that if the strikes go ahead, it will have a serious impact on many sectors of the economy."

Another senior GMB official said: "It is inconceivable that industry will continue to work without some impact."

The union has written to the nuclear and power generation companies British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), Magnox and British Energy, demanding a series of assurances. Mr Edmonds is urging companies to set up 24-hour safety nerve centres on each site. He also called for all risks and safety procedures to be reviewed and for all potentially risky activities to be halted.

A spokesman for the Transport and General Workers Union said its members had also expressed concerns about the provision of emergency cover during the strike. The spokesman said it was difficult to estimate how many employees would refuse to work during the stoppages.

Derek Simpson, general secretary-elect of Amicus-AEEU, said it would be "ludicrous" to give carte blanche for everyone to stop work, but workers must insist on "sensible precautions".

The London Underground system – and possibly parts of the national rail network – are already facing closure on Tuesday and Wednesday when the Fire Brigades Union begins a series of strikes in support of a 40 per cent pay claim which would put firefighters on £30,000 a year.

The RMT rail union and the train drivers' union Aslef have pledged their backing for any of their members who refuse to work because of a lack of normal fire cover.

Both Network Rail and London Underground argue that, with minor differences, their services will operate normally. Tube managers are planning to close 19 deep line stations next week, but union officials predict the whole system will shut down. They argue that without proper fire and rescue cover, the London Underground system is particularly vulnerable.

A spokesman for BNFL said safety was the number one priority and contingency plans had been drawn up. "Throughout the strikes the situation will be kept under review and we will shut any processes down if we cannot guarantee safety," he said. The official pointed out that some of the company's sites employed their own firefighters who are not affected by the dispute.

Nick Berentzen, head of safety at the Chemical Industries Association, said fire brigades were often reliant on the knowledge of chemical plant managers. He said all association members had been advised to review contingency plans and ensure staff were prepared.