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| Firefighters to stage second strike in pensions row | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Firefighters in England and Wales are to strike for five hours on 19 October amid a row over pensions, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has said. | |
| The second strike by union members will take place from 18:30 until 23:30. | |
| The government plans to make firefighters work up to 60 and argues that the pension offer is generous. | |
| But FBU general secretary Matt Wrack says the late-50s is too old to be fighting fires and rescuing families and is not ruling out further strikes. | |
| Firefighters in Scotland would not strike after they voted in a consultation that Scottish government proposals were sufficient to prevent a strike, the FBU said. | |
| Private contractors | |
| Mr Wrack said: "We had hoped our first strike was enough to show government that firefighters could not be more serious about protecting public safety and ensuring fair pensions. | |
| "No firefighter wants to strike, and it's desperately disappointing that governments in Westminster and Cardiff continue to deny reality over pensions costs and the need for a pension scheme that reflects the job firefighters do. | |
| "Firefighters simply cannot be expected to fight fires and rescue families in their late 50s and into their 60s. | |
| "We hope this second strike will mean both governments will be willing to discuss the full range of concerns that firefighters and the general public have expressed. | |
| "However, more strikes cannot be ruled out if that's what it takes to protect public and firefighter safety from these ludicrous attacks." | |
| During the first strike on 3 October, 32,000 union members walked out for four hours, according to the FBU. | |
| Contingency plans at the 46 fire services in England and three in Wales included using part-time and volunteer firefighters, calling in non-unionised fire crews and bringing in private contractors. | |
| No major incidents were reported during the strike, which was the first national walkout for a decade. |