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Commenting on the dispute over pensions which will see members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) out on strike later today (Wednesday) for the first time in a decade, TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said:

date: 25 September 2013

embargo: For immediate release

Commenting on the dispute over pensions which will see members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) out on strike later today (Wednesday) for the first time in a decade, TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said:

'There are many reasons why the government shouldn't be pressing ahead with these unfair and ill-thought out changes, with concerns about the likely impact on safety surely top of the list.

'Being able to save people from burning buildings or rescue them from the scene of a multiple vehicle pile-up requires not just bravery, but a good deal of physical strength too.

'There won't be many members of the public who would feel confident about being rescued from a serious fire if the only route out of the inferno was down a ladder on the back of a firefighter who was about to turn 60. Yet that is exactly what the FBU fears could happen if the government gets its way.

'Ministers might say that they'd move older staff off frontline duties but the reality is likely to be very different. The government's own figures show that thousands of firefighters in their 50s could face the sack without much of a pension, simply because they would no longer be able to meet the required fitness standard.'

Frances O'Grady and TUC Assistant General Secretary Paul Nowak will be visiting the picket line at Preston Circus community fire station (London Road, Brighton BN1 4NZ) at around 2.30pm today (Wednesday) to show their support for striking firefighters.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The TUC's campaign plan can be downloaded from www.tuc.org.uk/campaignplan

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: egibson@tuc.org.uk

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