In the UK this was symbolised by nationwide firefighters (!) strikes over salary rises where they actually were not putting down fires. One of the largest was 1977 fire in St Andrew's Hospital.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/14/newsid_3154000/3154632.stm

This event inspired Anthony Burgess to write "1985" novel. A situation like this - a strike of essential life-saving emergency services - is hard to imagine in any civilised country simply because it results in loss of life.