Fire crews poised for strike over pensions

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will walk out between 12pm and 4pm in what will be the first nationwide strike in 11 years.

A demonstration will be held at Millennium Square in Leeds from 1pm while other crews wave placards outside their stations across the region.

The row centres on Government pension reforms including pushing their retirement age from 55 to 60, which firefighters fear could put lives at risk.

David Williams, the union’s brigade secretary for West Yorkshire, said around 200 members from the area who are due to work tomorrow’s day shift will be on the picket line.

Many hundreds more are expected to strike in North and South Yorkshire and Humberside.

“It’s taken us two years to get to this point and we haven’t resorted to a strike before because we were in negotiations and thought they were going well. Now we have no option left,” he said.

“Firefighters aren’t capable of that role at 60. Not only are the firefighters at risk but so are the people we rescue. We need young, fit, strong, capable firefighters.”

Richard Walker, brigade secretary for Humberside, added: “It is not about firemen wanting anything extra, we are just concerned about the implications of working until 60 doing this job. It is not about the money, it is about public safety.”

Kevin Thewlis, brigade secretary for North Yorkshire, said the action was a last resort after Government talks broke down.

“The Government are just not talking to us,” he said, noting that members in Scotland were not striking as talks continued with Scottish ministers.

Fire Minister Brandon Lewis has branded the strike “entirely unnecessary and avoidable” and claimed the new pension deal is still among the most generous on offer in the public sector.

Yorkshire’s brigades will all be providing a reduced emergency response during the strike and are calling on residents and businesses to take extra care and test their smoke alarms.

In West Yorkshire, civilian responders have been recruited to provide cover. Dave Walton, assistant chief officer, said he was confident in the brigade’s contingency plan.

The Humberside brigade said it had “robust plans” in place but its cover would be “greatly reduced from what we can ordinarily provide and what the public expect”.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said many of its rural stations were unlikely to be affected as they were staffed mainly by part-time or on-call firefighters, many of whom are not union members.

A spokesman added: “In the larger towns where there are likely to be fewer fire engines available, we are providing some additional fully trained operational staff to ensure there is cover in place across the area.”

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said contingency crews had been recruited and trained but warned the cover they would be able to provide would be “considerably depleted”.

Chief Fire Officer Jamie Courtney said: “We would suggest that people now test that their smoke alarms are working. If they don’t own any, they should buy and fit them as soon as possible.”