FIREFIGHTERS will strike again today to protest against government proposals on pensions and working ages.

They will strike between 10am and 2pm. It is the fourth time they have been on strike in recent months.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said their members who retire before 60 because of fitness tests could receive annual pensions of just over £9,000 if government plans go ahead.

Cerith Griffiths, chairman of the FBU in South Wales, said while firefighters would only strike reluctantly, members felt the need to take industrial action action because of government plans to increase the retirement age of firemen.

He said the fire and rescue service have “guns held against our heads” and were being told they “will accept these proposals” by the government.

He said: “Obviously the increase in age is a concern because the government’s own report says that in excess of 50 per cent of firefighters of 50 to 54 would not meet the fitness standards the government has set.”

And Matt Wrack, the union’s general secretary, said: “After 35 years of service – and paying at least £4,000 a year – firefighters could now receive just over £9,000 a year or the sack simply because fitness declines as they get older.

“Firefighters simply want an affordable and workable pension that reflects the job we do.

“But with employee costs going up, firefighters are being priced out, making the scheme threatening to sustainability.”

The union said their members are facing a hike in pension contribution next April for the third year in a row.

They said their scheme is “one of the most expensive for workers anywhere in the public or private sector”.

And they said “it is also one of the least generous because employers pay one of the lowest proportions compared to other public service employers”.

The FBU is also voting on a ballot over future industrial action.

In a statement last week, the Fire Minister, Brandon Lewis, said he was disappointed the FBU has chosen to strike again.

He said: “The government has offered a generous pension and developed a package on firefighter fitness that addresses the majority of their concerns.”