The London Fire Brigade has threatened legal action if firefighters wear their uniform to a demonstration next week.
Firefighters will protest on Wednesday 16 over dangerous cuts to fire and rescue services across the country and proposals over pensions and retirement age that could see firefighters sacked for failing fitness tests in their 50s.
The Fire Brigades Union had encouraged members to wear their uniforms in a tradition that dates back almost a century.
However, in a letter, London Fire Brigade Commissioner Ron Dobson, said that firefighters did not have the right to wear the uniforms outside the workplace, threatening legal action.
Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said: “This is simply an ill judged attempt to bully and intimidate members and to prevent them from demonstrating publicly that they are firefighters when protesting against the attacks on firefighters and on the fire service.
“Threats like this will be a far greater encouragement to members to wear their tunics than any circular from regional officials.
“There is a clear and long established custom and practice that members may wear their tunics and uniforms at such events so that any instruction issued by LFEPA suggesting otherwise is invalid.”
You can read Wrack’s reply here.
