Firefighters Go On Strike In Row Over Pensions

Firefighters stage the first national stoppage in more than 10 years in protest at plans to make them work until they are 60.

It's been a decade since the firefighters last walked out. The Fire Brigade Union wants to propose changes will mean firefighters will have to work longer and pay more into their pensions, yet receive less in retirement. Eighty percent of Union members walked out. Here in the Midlands two generations of firefighters stood side by side.

David Pitt and his son David Junior believe they are loosing out into the changes which they say could see them having to work into their sixties.

We are here striking in response to that situation to give a big message out to the public that this is a site for firefighters and this is a site for members of the public.

I've been giving the job for over two decades and it takes each time all upon your joints. And it's harder and harder, harder to do all the job.

In Leeds, firefighters blamed their senior management, claiming they were looking after themselves and leaving the crews to suffer.

This maybe a short strike induration but it has already caused its fair share of disruption. The Fire Brigage Union is threatening more industrial action if it doesn't get what it wants. The government will be perhaps quite worried that it will not want to return to the prolonged industrial action which we saw more than a decade ago.

Back then, the army drove the aging green goddesses, the Union wanted a 40% pay rise, eventually the strike ended when they settled for less than half that.

We do think the strike is totally unnecessary. The age issue is the certain thing that the FB did not even list in their points when they made the strike action went forward with it, so that's not part of the strike action.

This time they are training the strike breakers. Some brigades including London and Siri hired private contractors to stand in.The public bill be warned that none emergency calls may not be answered.This four-hour strike has taken place in the middle of the day, away from the rush hour when the fire service is busiest, more disruption is likely.

The Union described that it was a warning shot. I think very clearly is that the least thing they can do in terms of strike action, this will be fairly quite of the war.

The strike passed off without major incident. The two sides will now resume negotiations.If no one backs down, the firefighters say they will walk out for longer next time.