A note of caution has been sent out in the lead-up to this weekend as people are urged only to attend organised firework events.
Firefighters in England and Wales are set to go on strike on Friday from 6.30pm to 11pm as a result of the Government and employers failing to provide guarantees on pensions or jobs in relation to the pension age changing from 55 to 60. There is also a planned strike from 6am to 8am on Monday (5th November) and with Bonfire Night and Diwali celebrations this weekend FBU (Fire Brigades Union) general secretary Matt Wrack has issued a warning.
He said: “The general advice for people around Bonfire Night is to attend organised events. We have been trying to negotiate pensions for nearly three years now and it is very frustrating for our members and firefighters across the country.
“We want a pension scheme that works, that takes account of the job that firefighters actually do, and the Government is completely ignoring the evidence and is expecting firefighters to be working on the frontline, going into burning buildings at 60 or beyond in order to get their pension. That’s simply unrealistic and dangerous.”
