Firefighters to walk out on strike as pension row rumbles on

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will strike on Friday, May 2, between noon and 5pm, Saturday, May 3, between 2pm and 2am and on Sunday, may 4 between 10am and 3pm.

There will also be a ban on voluntary overtime across England and Wales from 3pm on Sunday, May 4 until noon on Friday, May 9.

The union is opposed to plans to raise the retirement age from 55 to 60 and increased pension contributions.

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “After three years of negotiations and an intense four months presenting an indisputable, evidence-based case for the need to ensure a pension scheme that takes into account the unique occupation of firefighting, the government is still burying its head in the sand.

“Several members of government were only too keen to praise firefighters during the winter floods, but their words amount to nothing when they simultaneously ignore issues that threaten the future of firefighters and their families.”

Ministers have insisted firefighters’ pensions remain “generous.”