The planned firefighters’ strike tomorrow (Saturday) evening has been postponed, after last-minute shifts in stated positions of the government and the employers, which they claim effectively guarantee that no firefighter will be left without either a job or an unreduced pension.
The FBU received a letter from the fire service employers outlining principles on fitness and capability similar to those proposed in Scotland. The union also received further commitments from the English fire minister to adopt the Scottish principles on ‘no job, no pension’, as well as a review of fitness training, monitoring and application.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary said today:
“FBU members want firm guarantees and not just fine words. We have given government the opportunity to progress this matter seriously.
“The Fire Minister has said that the proposal from the employers removes the threat of ‘no job, no pension’. Firefighters will have serious concerns about this claim and will want cast iron guarantees that this will be addressed properly.
“The FBU has temporally postponed the planned strike to enable these guarantees to be firmed up. However, there are a number of important and unresolved elements of our dispute and we need to be clear that we may have to resort to further strike action.”
A key point in the FBU’s dispute is that firefighters will be unable to reach the new imposed normal pension age of 60.
The government’s own evidence published in the Williams report outlined that a significant number of firefighters will be unable to maintain the required fitness standards beyond 55 years of age. Firefighters would ultimately find themselves without a job or access to an unreduced pension unless this is addressed.
