The Fire Brigades Union has announced it intends to mount a legal challenge against the government because of changes to its pension scheme.

New rules to their pensions mean from 1 April, firefighters are required to work to the age of 60 or take a reduced pension. However, the government has put in place protection arrangements for older workers which allows them to stay in the old scheme, left unaffected by the changes.

The FBU believes it is “utterly unfair” that younger firefighters are not being given the same protection and instead must move to the new pension scheme. Approximately 13,000 firefighters stand to lose out.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said they have been trying to negotiate adequate protection for firefighters similar to that which was given to them when the last scheme was introduced in 2006.

“Sadly, the government has refused to honour the pension arrangements which people signed up to on joining the fire and rescue service. This is disgraceful,”

“The government has also ripped up previous agreements and it is leaving those who cannot maintain operational fitness with a stark choice - to leave on a severely reduced pension or face the sack,” he continued.

The FBU has collected fifty test cases to support its legal challenge, and expects to issue tribunal proceedings on behalf of all of the members who do not have protection in the near future.

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