Shropshire firefighters to walk out again

Members of the Fire Brigades Union in England and Wales – including firefighters based at Shrewsbury and Telford – will walk out for five hours from 7pm.

The strike will be followed by further stoppages on New Year's Eve and on January 3.

Fire chiefs have urged people to take extra care during festive celebrations tonight.

The Fire Brigades Union has already called six strikes since September in protest at changes to pensions and retirement age, which it warned threatened firefighters in their late 50s with being sacked.

The union placed adverts in national newspapers today accusing the Government of "attacking" pensions, "ripping up" agreements and threatening firefighters in their 50s with dismissal, "simply for getting older".

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: "Firefighters provide a first class standard of service, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and these strikes will remind Government just how reliant they are on our members' professionalism, commitment and flexibility."

The next strike will be for six hours from 6.30pm on New Year's Eve, then for two hours from 6.30am on January 3, which will be the ninth round of industrial action taken by the FBU since the row flared.

The most senior fire officer in London expressed concern about house fires during the festive period, as the brigade launched its Christmas safety campaign, Oh Christmas Tree, to remind people to take steps to prevent fires at home, including taking care with candles, fairy lights and when cooking.

The campaign features a stark image of a Christmas tree that was destroyed in a fire caused by a candle being left too close.

The London fire brigade said the most common cause of fires during the Christmas period is cooking. Between December 20 and 30 each year there are an average 84 cooking fires in the capital alone.

The last five years have seen an average 28 fires in London on Christmas Day, 10% more than the usual daily average.

Fire Minister 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' 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 £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.

"I would like to reassure the public that there are robust contingency arrangements in place."