Firefighters are due to walk out today as part of continued industrial action in a wrangle over proposed changes to pensions.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) announced earlier this week that strikes will take place on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, with firefighters walking out between 7pm and midnight.
Assistant Chief Officer Dave Walton said: “Christmas is a time for friends and families to celebrate and spend time together. The timing of this particular strike means that our emergency response capability will be reduced on Christmas Eve, and this means that people should take extra care so as not to require our services whilst firefighters are striking.”
The industrial action relates to a dispute between the FBU and the Government over the latter’s proposals to introduce a new Firefighters’ Pension Scheme from April 2015 to replace the two pension schemes that most operational personnel are members of.
Further strikes are anticipated on New Year’s Eve, from 6.30pm until 12.30am on January 1, and on January 3 between 6.30am and 8.30am.
Six strikes have already been held.
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