Retirement the burning issue

Today’s picket outside Oldham Fire Station

OLDHAM firefighters joined their counterparts from across the country yesterday in a 24-hour walkout over “unworkable” pension and retirement age proposals.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) believes Westminster is imposing an unworkable pension scheme which unfairly penalises firefighters for retiring at age 55 - by which age, unions claim, the job has often taken its toll physically.

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “Government ministers have ignored three requests by the union to meet. Ministers are quick to call the union militant yet it’s them who still refuse to talk to us.

Scottish and Welsh aithorities have improved their offers to their firefighters, while Northern Ireland has agreed firefighters should be able to retire with a full pension at 55, rather than age 60 imposed elsewhere.