Brighton and Hove firefighters to join national strike tonight and tomorrow

Firefighters in Brighton and Hove are expected to take part in a national strike tonight (Tuesday 31 December) and on Friday (3 January).

The strike has been called by the Fire Brigades Union in a dispute with the government over pensions.

FBU members are due to start the strike this evening at 6.30pm and return to work at 12.30am tomorrow (Wednesday 1 January).

They are also due to strike again from 6.30am to 8.30am on Friday 3 January.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service urged people to take extra care as they celebrated the new year.

Chief Fire Officer Des Prichard said: “While emergency cover will again be provided by firefighters and officers who are not members of the FBU, we are preparing for a busy night.

“We need help from members of the public to make sure that crews are not called out unnecessarily and are free to respond to real emergencies.

“Priority will be given to incidents where lives may be at risk.

Members of the FBU on strike in Hove earlier in December

“The timing of the strike has given us an additional challenge but we are ready to respond. If you have a fire, get out, stay out and dial 999.”

The fire service said: “If you are going out, make a clear choice between drinking or driving and plan how you are going to get home.

“If you are planning a big night out, remember that you can still be over the limit on the morning after so don’t assume you are safe to drive.

“It’s a good idea to avoid cooking after you get home from the pub or club as more than half of accidental house fires start in the kitchen.

“A takeaway or cold snack is your safest option.

“If you are celebrating at home, make sure that you take extra care in the kitchen and don’t get distracted by your guests.

“Remember to switch off Christmas lights and snuff out candles before you go to bed.

“Cigarettes and cigars should be stubbed out and disposed of carefully.

“Make sure you have a working smoke alarm on each floor of your house and make sure that you and your guests know how to get out safely in an emergency.

“Please don’t take any additional risks, such as having fireworks displays or lighting open fires when you haven’t had you chimney checked recently.

“The recent storms have highlighted how destructive wind and rain can be.

“If you have any outside decorations at your home or business, please ensure they are secure or consider removing them.

“If water levels are already high in your area and you may be at risk of flooding, think about buying sandbags, move valuables or items of sentimental importance from the ground floor of your home and work out a plan of action if you do need to leave your home in a hurry.”

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Firefighters provide a first-class standard of service 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, and these strikes will remind government just how reliant they are on our members’ professionalism, commitment and flexibility.

“However, there should be no need for industrial action, and it’s absurd that firefighters’ concerns over pensions have not been addressed already.

“The government must stop claiming they are negotiating when they have refused to talk for two months and insist on forcing through proposals that are unaffordable, unworkable and unfair.

“By simply conceding common sense and allowing firefighters a fair deal, the government could end this industrial action today.”

The FBU said that members in control centres would continue to work through the strikes – the eighth and ninth since the dispute started.

The union said: “Firefighters’ pension schemes are among the most expensive for workers anywhere in the public or private sector but among the cheapest proportionally for the government.

“Most firefighters who take home approximately £1,650 a month already pay £320 or more a month into their pensions.

“From April 2014 this would rise for the third year in a row to over £340 a month (£4,000 a year), with many facing a fourth consecutive rise of 2.2 per cent in 2015.

“On top of this, a large section of firefighters face an additional threat to their pensions as a result of the government refusing to honour longstanding agreements.

“As a result, they will not receive the pension they were promised despite paying into their scheme for many years.”