Fire Minister responds to the latest strike action
Brandon Lewis responds to the FBU's decision to take industrial action over the holiday period.
Brandon Lewis said:
The decision by FBU leaders to interrupt the Christmas holiday season with unnecessary industrial action is completely cynical. I met with the FBU on 4 December to continue discussions but their actions today show that they are not serious about resolving this dispute, which simply further damages firefighters鈥� standing with the public.
The deal on the table gives firefighters one of the most generous pension schemes in all the public sector. A firefighter who earns 拢29,000 and retires after a full career aged 60 will get a 拢19,000 a year pension, rising to 拢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.
I would like to reassure the public that there are robust contingency arrangements in place.
Read more details on the firefighters鈥� pension scheme reform page.