The Fire Brigades Union have written to Brandon Lewis, the fire minister in Westminster, asking him to provide new proposals on firefighter pensions before Thursday 24 April.
The union has been discussing potential improvements with the government since the last firefighter strike on 3 January.
In mid-March, the government’s actuary department finished costing options, and the union says the Department for Communities and Local Government should now be in a position to make any new offer.
In a circular to members, Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “We believe we have given ample time and opportunity for the government to present any improvements and have refrained from strikes while these talks have been ongoing.
“We have now clearly told the Minister that if we haven’t got any proposals by the time the union’s executive council meets on 24 April, we will assume that they have no further improvements and will factor this into the discussions and decisions on the next steps.”
On Tuesday 8 April, union negotiators met representatives from the Treasury about their proposal to raise the minimum age that anyone could retire without a tax levy from 55 to 57.
At the meeting, the Treasury said that the proposal did not prevent the DCLG (who were also in attendance) making an improved offer for the 2015 pension scheme.
The Treasury also said that defined benefit pensions schemes that have a normal pension age of less than 57 – including the 1992 Firefighter Pensions scheme – would not be affected. However, it also said it could not confirm what its final position was or what exemptions would be given at this stage.
The union said it would submit an explanation over why firefighters’ pension schemes should not be included in the changes.
A government consultation on the proposal closes on 11 June, and the Treasury will publish a response in late July 2014.
The FBU also said it would write to Lewis and other MPs over his inaccurate claim in the House of Commons that they had not sought to establish ‘pension protection’ for members.
The union also said it was taking legal advice and preparing proposals over the future governance of pensions, including the representation of pension scheme members by the FBU.
