Fire Minister Brandon Lewis has worsened his offer on pensions and retirement age to firefighters ahead of a two-hour strike on Monday morning.
Lewis wrote to the Fire Brigades Union at 3.14pm on Friday — three hours before a strike was due to take place — saying his last offer “was conditional on acceptance” and that it was being withdrawn.
Lewis move comes shortly after the President of the Chief Fire Officers’ Association, Paul Fuller, wrote to his members contradicting Lewis’ claim that firefighters would not be sacked without access to a full pension as their fitness declines in their 50s.
Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Friday’s strike was solid around the country, and there was a huge amount of public sympathy on show on picket lines, online and via the media.
“By worsening the proposals for firefighters’ pensions, the government has now put a further obstacle in the way of negotiations, but after two years of talks the Fire Brigades Union remain committed to a resolution.
“No firefighter wanted a strike, but we must defend the fire service, public safety and our pensions. The situation has now been exacerbated by ill-informed interventions by Chief Fire Officers which completely contradict government claims that nobody will be sacked.
“In a bizarre twist Chief Officers are saying that firefighters will have a ‘choice’ of being sacked. Firefighters will wonder what planet these very highly-paid Chief Officers are living on.
“We can still get sorted this mess out if the government recognises our concerns and takes account of the real evidence we have given them.”
Over the last week the Minister has been trying to convince the public that firefighters will not face the sack if they are unable to maintain operational fitness until age 60, and that ‘good employers’ will redeploy firefighters in this position.
However, Fuller’s letter states that fire authorities would start capability dismissal procedures for firefighters in this position, and that they would therefore have to choose between being sacked or leaving with a hugely reduced pension.
The FBU has also pointed out that it is Chief Fire Officers who get the best benefits from the firefighters’ pension scheme, with several having already retired once in order to receive such benefits but are now back in their old jobs on substantial salaries.
While the issue remains unresolved, firefighters are facing more increases in their pension contributions, another key area of their dispute with the government.
Firefighters are facing their third year of increases, with many — including new firefighters — being priced out of their schemes.
Monday’s strike will take place across England and Wales between 6am and 8am.
