Firefighters to hold 24-hour strike next Tuesday

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) claims the increased retirement age is “unfair, unaffordable and unworkable”.
The 24-hour strike will begin at 9am on Tuesday.
Contingency crews will be called in to assist non-striking firefighters at the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS),however the service will be running on reduced resources.
It is reminding residents during periods of industrial action that it is even more crucial only to call 999 in a genuine emergency and to take extra care to reduce the risk of fire.
Life critical incidents such as house fires and road traffic accidents where a person is trapped will be prioritised.
Firefighters in Northern Ireland have lifted their dispute after a lower pension age was agreed, and in Scotland and Wales fire crews are taking other forms of industrial action, but not strikes, after negotiations.
FBU general secretary, Matt Wrack, said: “We need to be clear. We are not going to give up or go away. Firefighters will fight for however long it takes to secure a fair pensions deal – this dispute will not end as long as the regulations remain unchanged.”
“It is sickening that the only part of the UK where the fire minister refuses to engage in genuine negotiations is England.”
The last strike held by the FBU members was for four days from October 31.
The announcement follows industrial action from NHS staff, including at local hospitals and in the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS), in the form of a strike on Monday and action short of a strike until Sunday.