Firefighters in Huddersfield are set to walk-out for the fourth time as part of a national strike against pensions and conditions.
Members of the Fire Brigades Union will go on strike for four hours from 10am on Wednesday, November 13.
The union also announced that it will ballot its members for other forms of industrial action in an escalation of the dispute.
Firefighters walked out on Monday from 6am for two hours and last Friday evening in their ongoing row over what will happen to firefighters who fail fitness tests as their retirement age is moved from 55 to 60.
The union fears there will be job losses if firefighters are not offered other work in the service.
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Our members enter burning buildings for a living and will not be intimidated by the Government’s decision to worsen their proposals.
“The Government’s latest attack will simply harden their resolve.
“Ministers continue to ignore the professional, evidence-based case we have presented over the past three years and refuse to establish an affordable occupational pension scheme which reflects the occupation of firefighting.
“Although we still hope the Government returns to negotiations, our members have told us that they are prepared for a long, hard campaign if necessary.”
But fire minister Brandon Lewis condemned the strike as ‘completely unnecessary’ and claimed the action was “damaging the good reputation firefighters have with the public”.
