No movement on firefighter's pension dispute

Firefighters and the government are still no closer to reaching an agreement on pensions after strike action earlier today.

The strike ended at 8am this morning (4 November) and was the third strike action taken by the Fire Brigades Union.

The FBU has claimed that the Fire Minister Brandon Lewis has worsened the deal ahead of a strike last Friday night (1 November).

The dispute is primarily focused on the issues surrounding the health of firefighters over 50 who could lose their job and some of their pensions over fitness concerns.

So far the government and employers have not drawn up any legal measure to protect firefighters whose fitness is affected by age.

Although some progress was made at initial talks Brandon Lewis has withdrawn his last offer saying that it was dependent upon acceptance.

Fire Brigades Union general secretary, Matt Wrack, said: “The next step forward for pension negotiations is simple and achievable.

“If the government is serious about firefighters being protected from being sacked without access to their pensions as it claims to be, why won’t it draft the pension regulations accordingly?

"We have even made it easy for them by providing the necessary wording following legal advice.

“The threat of firefighters facing the sack without access to a full pension as they get older is only one aspect of our campaign, but discussions could move forward quite easily with this simple step.”

The FBU is still seeking talks with employers and the Department for Community and Local Government but has not yet secured any.
Ahead of last Friday’s strike Brandon Lewis said: “This strike action by the FBU is completely unnecessary and does nothing but damage the good reputation firefighters have with the public.

“We offered firefighters similar fitness principles to those the FBU accepted in Scotland. The FBU should reconsider their decision to strike - announced just 4 days into discussions - and work for a resolution to this dispute.

“The public will be baffled by the FBU’s course of action when they hear that the deal being offered to firefighters gives them one of the most generous pension schemes in all the public sector.

“A firefighter who earns £29,000, and retires after a full career aged 60, will get a £19,000 a year pension, rising to £26,000 with the state pension. An equivalent private pension pot would be worth over half a million pounds and require firefighters to contribute twice as much.”