Firefighters started their first 24-hour strike yesterday in the campaign against a government push for a higher retirement age and cuts in pensions.

Fire stations across England and Wales closed as Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members walked out in protest at the planned changes.

“The government is ignoring all the evidence from its own reports,” said FBU general secretary Matt Wrack, who joined members on a Shoreditch, east London, picket line. 

“Its attacks will radically damage the fire and rescue service.”

The union leader called on the Fire Minister Brandon Lewis to come out and have a public debate with the workers.

“If he’s confident in his arguments, surely he’ll accept the opportunity for us to both lay our cases out in public?” Mr Wrack suggested. 

Firefighters are some of the highest contributors to work pensions, with current deductions sitting at over 14 per cent of their salaries.

The union has expressed concerns not only over the unfairness of the reforms, which would see firefighters working into their 60s or suffer a stark reduction in their pensions, but also the safety of the public.

Firefighters’s life expectancy is reportedly below average given the level of physical strain they are subjected throughout their work life.

According to the FBU, many are now questioning their careers and pondering leaving the pension scheme altogether.

Mr Wrack mentioned that some members cannot even afford their living costs with the proposed contributions and under such conditions the sustainability of the scheme is questionable. 

The FBU leader spent the first one-day walkout of the dispute in London visiting picket lines. 

At Shoreditch fire station the FBU contingent was joined by the Trades Union Congress general secretary Frances O’Grady.

“It seems to me this is an unprecedented idiocy on the part of the government,” she said. 

“Public service workers and private-sector workers across the board have been asked to work more, pay more and get less in their pensions.”

Mr Wrack used the opportunity to gift Ms O’Grady with an FBU T-shirt reading: “We save people, not banks!”