fire service strike new years eve

All the cuts to public services are a direct result of people abusing the conditions the previous generation fought for! Why is sickness in the public sector double that of the private sector, fully paid for 6 months and half paid for 6 months and during this time they also accrue full holiday entitlement? And now they want to retire at 55, whilst local services are being slashed, its a known fact that many firefighters have part time jobs as they don get time when they are sleeping all night!

Either way hope it is resolved soon so we don't see this happening again.

http://news.sky.com/story/1182656/fire- ... ter-strike

Do firefighters really risk their lives every day?

Do they run into burning buildings?



Maybe on tv

That is the most stupid post Ive ever f*cking read.

Do firefighters really risk their lives every day?

Do they run into burning buildings?



Maybe on tv

That is the most stupid post Ive ever f*cking read.

care to explain?

Do firefighters really risk their lives every day?

Do they run into burning buildings?



Maybe on tv

That is the most stupid post Ive ever f*cking read.

care to explain?

I think its quite obvious

not really so ill ask again. Perhaps if you or someone in your family is a fireman you can help me out here.

Do firefighters risk their lives every day? how often in their jobs are they tackling dangerous fires (houses/warehouses or anything on a large/medium scale?)

Are firefighters allowed to run into a burning building? if so how often would this happen on average?

What is the mortality rate in uk/worldwide as a percentage?

what about the serious injury or risk to health?

how does this compare with other jobs with potential danger?



I should point out that i wasnt belittling the job, i imagine that health and saftey being what it is largely stops firefighters from being at danger.

So when someone says that they risk their life every day i just want to know if its right?!

The sad thing is that not one person has actually spoken about the real issues.

I signed a contract in 1985 that tells me my retirement age. I have paid 11.5 % now rising to over 14% of my wage for the last 28 yrs to allow me to retire at that age. I paid into a pension from age 19 until age 20 that is just taken away from me as the pension starts at age 20.

As I have said above, they now want to increase our contributions to over 14% (far more than most I know) tell us we have to work longer (breaking the contract that we have signed) and take home a less pension at the end of that longer period of contributing more. Surely you must agree that regardless of the job, or what is carried out when in work, we can't stand by and let this joke this joke of a government shaft us all.

They are also having a 11% pay rise for what? You talk about sleeping, they actually sleep in the commons live on TV FFS.

The government research shows that the fitness levels they suggest are not achievable for FF's at that age and have said that if a FF fails the level then they will only received a portion of the pension they have paid in.

Not trying to cause any arguments but would like people to place their comments based on facts.

Good on them I say why is it MPs can get a 11% rise second homes and lots of other benefits for doing f**k all but further destroy not so Great Britain! And firefighters police and the armed forces can't get anything but further staff cuts etc

Nurses being paid up to retire then we have a shortage of nurses and no one skilled to take the jobs the health service in a complete mess when it need not be and there answer is to privatise it YES cos that will work mind!

It'll mean you and I will be even worse off than we are now, when will the government learn that charity begins at home and start looking out for our countries interests before others, the health service should be high priority for our government as should other emergency services who save lives daily yet all we see is cuts cuts cuts but MPS can get 11% more a year bankers continue to receive ridiculous bonuses this country is highly fucked up

Ye because MPs do nothing. You'd still be in a hole living off bark if it wasn't for an intelligent higher class. I know my place, I couldn't be a politician.

It's Labours fault for making people think they are entitled to an easy life. Handing out blank checks. If it wasn't for mongs in Wales, Ireland and Scotland, England would have a majority Conservative government every time. Oh wait, we are suppressed Welshman than are shit on by the Tories. Tell me that when you're handing out Ipads on Xmas day...... No one would work down a mine nowadays, no one.

Labour and their pile of shit, completely over the top workers rights have ruined our country. Employees mincing about because they know they can throw a lawsuit at their employers with help from the state. If they lose, so what? Cost them nothing, just the tax payer.

Employers are always the evils one though aren't they?. Employees would shit themselves if they saw how much corporation tax you have to pay.

The whole point is they are looking out for themselves rather than society. A pathetic example of how self centred and ENTITLED Labour has made us via UNIONS.

Yes and No on this one

as an emergency service you expect them to be fit anyway and age does have a factor on this

however I believe its down to an individual firefighters to maintain fitness like the military and there is no union protecting our armed forces, so the fire service have an advantage.

Merchant Navy sailors work until they are 65 and firefighting is a required duty so if they can fight fires at sea at 65 why cant the fire service.

Each to their own if they think they can get something out of it good luck to them

sleeping through their night shift should stop,can't believe they get away with it.

I wasnt aware they do, not what advantage there is to that really.

They work 15hr nightshifts and have lay down period between midnight and 6am.

thats nice for them

join the mechant navy as a deck hand one of the hardest and dangerous jobs this country can offer and then discover a fire on board doesnt matter how tired you are or how long your shift has been or whether youve slept, you fight that fire or you die and nobodies coming to save you, oh and your 65 years of age. Maybe the fire service should have a rethink of their actions.

My father was in the merchant Navy for 9 years, then was a firefighter for the rest of his career. Ask him........

A fire on a boat is rare..........

Firefighters run into burning buildings every day risking their lives for other peoples lives and property..........for a starting salary of £21k per annum. .shame on them.

Some people are just dull as f**k.

Firemen go to a house fire very very rarely. One recently admitted he has gone to one in the last 5/6 years. So that is a silly arguement and shows little knowledge of the fire service.
Starting pay maybe £21K but that is basic starting pay. So weekend, night (sleeping ) duties etc are added to this. Holiday/sick pay and early retirement are benefits the rest of the working people of this country (public/civil service excluded) can only dream of.

Many firemen have other jobs as they are so refreshed after work, having slept for most of their duties.
The boredom is their enemy in many cases, as H&S restrictions mean many go no where near anything dangerous.
So I agree they do an important job, but they are well rewarded for this.

Some of the firemen look unfit to me, so that some 65 year olds could easily match them. They have women there that do not look as though they could do a job better than a 65 year old man.

Yes and No on this one

as an emergency service you expect them to be fit anyway and age does have a factor on this

however I believe its down to an individual firefighters to maintain fitness like the military and there is no union protecting our armed forces, so the fire service have an advantage.

Merchant Navy sailors work until they are 65 and firefighting is a required duty so if they can fight fires at sea at 65 why cant the fire service.

Each to their own if they think they can get something out of it good luck to them

sleeping through their night shift should stop,can't believe they get away with it.

I wasnt aware they do, not what advantage there is to that really.

They work 15hr nightshifts and have lay down period between midnight and 6am.

thats nice for them

join the mechant navy as a deck hand one of the hardest and dangerous jobs this country can offer and then discover a fire on board doesnt matter how tired you are or how long your shift has been or whether youve slept, you fight that fire or you die and nobodies coming to save you, oh and your 65 years of age. Maybe the fire service should have a rethink of their actions.

My father was in the merchant Navy for 9 years, then was a firefighter for the rest of his career. Ask him........

A fire on a boat is rare..........

Firefighters run into burning buildings every day risking their lives for other peoples lives and property..........for a starting salary of £21k per annum. .shame on them.

Some people are just dull as f**k.

Firemen go to a house fire very very rarely. One recently admitted he has gone to one in the last 5/6 years. So that is a silly arguement and shows little knowledge of the fire service.
Starting pay maybe £21K but that is basic starting pay. So weekend, night (sleeping ) duties etc are added to this. Holiday/sick pay and early retirement are benefits the rest of the working people of this country (public/civil service excluded) can only dream of.

Many firemen have other jobs as they are so refreshed after work, having slept for most of their duties.
The boredom is their enemy in many cases, as H&S restrictions mean many go no where near anything dangerous.
So I agree they do an important job, but they are well rewarded for this.

Some of the firemen look unfit to me, so that some 65 year olds could easily match them. They have women there that do not look as though they could do a job better than a 65 year old man.

It is illegal for a firefighter (fulltime) to have a second job.

Little knowledge of the fire service. Besides the fact my father was in the fire service for 32 years. Regional chair in the FBU of Wales for 4 years and held countless other high profile union positions I would say i know a tad more than yourself.

Glas,
Forget everything I've said. I don't need a pension as I have 28 yrs of weekend work and night shift allowance to be back dated. Haha. You really know shit mate fair play

The sad thing is that not one person has actually spoken about the real issues.

I signed a contract in 1985 that tells me my retirement age. I have paid 11.5 % now rising to over 14% of my wage for the last 28 yrs to allow me to retire at that age. I paid into a pension from age 19 until age 20 that is just taken away from me as the pension starts at age 20.

As I have said above, they now want to increase our contributions to over 14% (far more than most I know) tell us we have to work longer (breaking the contract that we have signed) and take home a less pension at the end of that longer period of contributing more. Surely you must agree that regardless of the job, or what is carried out when in work, we can't stand by and let this joke this joke of a government shaft us all.

They are also having a 11% pay rise for what? You talk about sleeping, they actually sleep in the commons live on TV FFS.

The government research shows that the fitness levels they suggest are not achievable for FF's at that age and have said that if a FF fails the level then they will only received a portion of the pension they have paid in.

Not trying to cause any arguments but would like people to place their comments based on facts.

what government research?

if its impossible for a man at 65 to fight a fire, how is it possible for sailors to fight them at sea?

Do firefighters really risk their lives every day?

Do they run into burning buildings?



Maybe on tv

That is the most stupid post Ive ever f*cking read.

There was a fireman killed in Manchester back in July.

At the end of the day public sector workers have had it easy for too long.

Both my parents are public sector workers entitled to full sick pay and other benefits that myself and other private sector workers are not. They too have been hit with working for longer paying more to get less of a pension. My mum has just found out now she is losing her job after Xmas.

And for me the only people I blame for it all are the Unions and labour.

Labour have over spent in the public sector by allowing to many benefits and creating jobs that werent there to create.

This governement in my opinion is trying to reduce a debt that the previous government has racked up!!

If they cut benefits they are evil
If they cut pensions they are evil
If they freeze wages they are evil

This debt needs to be tackled for the next generation, if you have any better suggestions on how to tackle the debt then lets hear them.

The sad thing is that not one person has actually spoken about the real issues.

I signed a contract in 1985 that tells me my retirement age. I have paid 11.5 % now rising to over 14% of my wage for the last 28 yrs to allow me to retire at that age. I paid into a pension from age 19 until age 20 that is just taken away from me as the pension starts at age 20.

As I have said above, they now want to increase our contributions to over 14% (far more than most I know) tell us we have to work longer (breaking the contract that we have signed) and take home a less pension at the end of that longer period of contributing more. Surely you must agree that regardless of the job, or what is carried out when in work, we can't stand by and let this joke this joke of a government shaft us all.

They are also having a 11% pay rise for what? You talk about sleeping, they actually sleep in the commons live on TV FFS.

The government research shows that the fitness levels they suggest are not achievable for FF's at that age and have said that if a FF fails the level then they will only received a portion of the pension they have paid in.

Not trying to cause any arguments but would like people to place their comments based on facts.

and to be honest mate you moaning about your pension really pisses me off, as a firefighter you have one of the best pensions this country can offer and you piss and moan about it.

working on current life expectancy in this country where people are living into their 80's and you want to retire in your 50's you want a scheme that realistically you dont pay a lot into for 30 years if your lucky to sustain you for another 30 years if not more.

its unsustainable and will only serve to destroy the lives of your younger firefighters who in a generations time will have to work into their 70's to receive the same level of benefit you want in your 50's.

lets be generous in your retirement you will probably get back 50% (i reckon you would actually get more depending on how long you live) of the money youve earned in your career assuming youve served a full career but youve only paid 11.5% of that, thats a defecit of 38.5% thats has to be paid by the taxpayer, even your increase to 14% leaves an 36% defecit which you expect to magically arrive in your bank account.

rather than go on strike why dont you ask the question where is all this money going to come from?

firefighters,well it's hard to call them that when most of the time they sit around twiddling their thumbs .C'mon they have the easiest job in the country,their was a big fire near my home recently and there were about ten fire engines and countless firemen and all they did was let the fire burn itself out,other fires they just hold a hose and point it at a fire,they should work till their 70 not 55ffs.Privatise the fire service then you could get Europeans to do the job for half the price,save a lot of money and they would work till their 80 and not fall asleep on the job.
Time these lazy so called firefighters entered the real world.

So tell me. You will be happy with the fact that the contract signed means shit? Simple answer is honour contracts signed and change conditions for new entrants. If you people want to sit around and be shit on then all the best. We have chosen to say that they are being unfair changing conditions.

As for firefighters after me then my comments are based on them as due to my service served my pension and conditions may be honoured but who knows if we allow them to change others. So I am considering others.

Regarding reaserch. Go look plenty there.

Have you moaned about the thousands of retired ff's that you have been funding for the last god knows how long? I doubt it but let's have a pop now.

This country is in shit because we sit back and allow it. Imagine if this was France

Everyone else is tightening their belts but the firemen are getting fatter,get yourselves into the real world ffs.

So tell me. You will be happy with the fact that the contract signed means shit? Simple answer is honour contracts signed and change conditions for new entrants. If you people want to sit around and be shit on then all the best. We have chosen to say that they are being unfair changing conditions.

As for firefighters after me then my comments are based on them as due to my service served my pension and conditions may be honoured but who knows if we allow them to change others. So I am considering others.

Regarding reaserch. Go look plenty there.

Have you moaned about the thousands of retired ff's that you have been funding for the last god knows how long? I doubt it but let's have a pop now.

This country is in shit because we sit back and allow it. Imagine if this was France

I take it your under 45 then

get used to it, its happening to everyone my mother has found out instead of retiring at 60 she now has to work until she 67.

circumstances change where is all this money going to come from?

personally as a taxpayer I dont mind paying your pension but I dont see why you should be in a position where you can be retired for longer than you actually work and draw 50% of your pay in a pension. Thats a pension youve never paid for and even after your contract change you still wont be able to pay for.

as for obligating contracts, bet you didnt complain when they changed your contract when they gave you pay rise after pay rise since 1992. If you want the government to honour their 1992 contract so you can retire at 55 go back to your pay conditions of what you were earning in 1992.

Under 45. Read my posts. I have done 28 yrs. Why the assumption?

Under 45. Read my posts. I have done 28 yrs. Why the assumption?

because if your over 45 your pension doesnt change so what are you complaining about? all these changes dont effect you in any way.

Keep up at the back. Read posts before replying

firefighters,well it's hard to call them that when most of the time they sit around twiddling their thumbs .C'mon they have the easiest job in the country,their was a big fire near my home recently and there were about ten fire engines and countless firemen and all they did was let the fire burn itself out,other fires they just hold a hose and point it at a fire,they should work till their 70 not 55ffs.Privatise the fire service then you could get Europeans to do the job for half the price,save a lot of money and they would work till their 80 and not fall asleep on the job.
Time these lazy so called firefighters entered the real world.

Easiest jobs in the country.....what a f*cking numpty.

Keep up at the back. Read posts before replying

still doesnt effect you though does it and a 2/3rds final salary pension no wonder your desperate to keep it

so if you retire at £30,000 your going to have a £20,000 pension for the rest of your life thats scandalous and unsustainable

where is this money coming from?

why should taxpayers fund you to that extent?

some people dont earn £20,000 a year ever let alone retire on it a taxpayers expense, if you strike thats just greed pure and simple

take a good look in the mirror and consider what other people retire on before you consider yourself hard done by.

You are clueless mate. How about leaving everyone as they are. Recruit new staff when people retire reducing unemployment and boosting pension pot with conditions people agree to?

You are clueless mate. How about leaving everyone as they are. Recruit new staff when people retire reducing unemployment and boosting pension pot with conditions people agree to?

how am I clueless thats how your pension is calculated

you cant leave everyone where they are and even if you did you still cant sustain it, probably why the scheme is being changed

you have one of the best pension schemes in the country, the armed forces may have a better one but they are soon to face changes and they dont have a union theyll get told like it or leave.

I dont think you have a grasp of basic economics to pay your 30 year pension at current rates 1 firefighter has to effectively work for free for his first 11 years service, then he will retire with the same pension 20 years later and you will still be alive for another 10 years so the next firefighter in line will have to work almost 15 years for free, do you see a pattern emerging? its not sustainable and short term gain will sooner rather than later result will see firefighters working twice as long for half pay because your generation couldnt make a sacrifice and you say your concerned about the next generation of firefighters. Its not just firefighters its right across the board of the public sector, police, ambuance, teachers and the military are all having to make sacrifices. The private sector dont get anywhere near the benefits you receive.

your union has sold you a fob story that makes you feel hard done by all your doing is making the next generation of firefighters lives 10 times harder than they have to be.

So tell me with your so called economic intelligence. Between 11 and 14% paid in to a private pension fund for 31 years. What is my return. Far more than I would receive from the fire service. What is the general % contribution from private sector workers?

Not being funny but I fkin hate the unions.

Read the history books my friend and try and educate yourself.Go to the local library if your short of cash.....the unions especially the miners paid for the first ones.....have a look where all your holidays.....weekends off.....pay rises....employment rights.....health and safety regulations.....pensions....maternity rights.....equal pay....etc etc etc have come from.Do you honestly think business and owners gave us them things....they were fought for by our forefathers...in strikes and hardship, over many years.People like my grandfather spent 7 months on strike so people like you could have a decent life, so dont ever forget it.Educate yourself.

And as a business owner the unions can shove all above in a big fat one and smoke it!

Ha ha im glad.bet you would like us all on zero hour contracts and still have kids down the pit and up chmmeneys lol

All the cuts to public services are a direct result of people abusing the conditions the previous generation fought for! Why is sickness in the public sector double that of the private sector, fully paid for 6 months and half paid for 6 months and during this time they also accrue full holiday entitlement? And now they want to retire at 55, whilst local services are being slashed, its a known fact that many firefighters have part time jobs as they don get time when they are sleeping all night!

IF its so great get a job as a fireman or in the public service. why drag everyone down ? why not get better for everyone.

So tell me with your so called economic intelligence. Between 11 and 14% paid in to a private pension fund for 31 years. What is my return. Far more than I would receive from the fire service. What is the general % contribution from private sector workers?

well that would all depend on the particular pension fund you buy into and the risk of the investment they use.

hopefully you dont lose anything so if your investment doesnt yield anything you will get back what you put in.

there is the risk that what you put in you lose altogether so you dont have a pension

or your investment could be successful and you get the rewards but if you think its going to be better than your current pension you are very much mistaken

you have forgetten about employer contribution (thats the taxpayer by the way) so effectively as a taxpayer i give 3 lots of money
1 your salary
2 your pension contribution
3 your pension when your fund runs out after 15 years of consuming it.