Firemans strike today - Retire at 55 or else...

[Napper]

All be privatised soon anyway . Going the same way as the Nhs . Current stage is the media are running it down at every opportunity to brainwash the public. Soon the mps and their companies will get their greasy hands on it and it will become about profit and loss. Sad really .

 

[Buzzer]

What utter rot. A 60 year old has plenty to offer a class. Wisdom, life experience, teaching skills. That is genuinely one of the most ill thought out, half baked, idiotic things I have EVER seen on this forum. And that's going some with a forum that boasts the likes of Ernest, Buzzer and Hybrid X as contributers.

My goodness that inferiority complex you have about me is getting worse. Shame you still haven't figured out a way of dealing with it except through insults. Have you thought about going back to school? Self-esteem classes?

p.s. it's 'contributors'.

 

[Nibble]

My goodness that inferiority complex you have about me is getting worse. Shame you still haven't figured out a way of dealing with it except through insults. Have you thought about going back to school? Self-esteem classes?

p.s. it's 'contributors'.

While we're being pedantic you cannot have an inferiority complex about someone else.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

But footballers don't have pensions paid by the public. If we use footballers as an example firefighters should just be expectd to survive off the money they made up until the age of 55.

Why can't footballers have a second career in a different area once they retire from professional football and the same applies to firefighters?

You can't expect to work for 15 or so years in one profession like these and think thats it, i've done my bit and now the state should pay to keep me til i die (something i doubt they do anyway but seems to be what you are suggesting should happen)

Fitness plays a part and if they are unable to handle a firefighters role because of their fitness, they become a potential danger to themselves, to their colleagues or even members of the public.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

All be privatised soon anyway . Going the same way as the Nhs . Current stage is the media are running it down at every opportunity to brainwash the public. Soon the mps and their companies will get their greasy hands on it and it will become about profit and loss. Sad really .

Well if it is privatised, maybe the people in charge will get prosecuted for their failings in ensuring the health and safety of their staff and ensure that there were no easily avoidable deaths as a result of their actions or much better still, actually do what they should have done inincidents like the Ringmer deaths case and prevented the unnecessary deaths of 2 of their staff (and the suffering to their families and friends that followed)

Deaths of two firefighters 'could easily have been avoided'

They lost their lives in the name of duty - killed when a factory packed with fireworks exploded as they fought a fire inside. The families of two firefighters, killed at a fireworks factory in Sussex six years ago, are taking legal action against East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

They claim the service was negligent and exposed the men to unnecessary risk. The court heard that the deaths of Geoff Wicker and Brian Wembridge was a 'catastrophe that could easily have been avoided'.

Just in: the court has ruled in the families' favour.

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/story/2013-07-30/legal-action-after-explosion/

 

[drew]

But footballers don't have pensions paid by the public. If we use footballers as an example firefighters should just be expectd to survive off the money they made up until the age of 55.

I think the comparison was more to do with fitness levels rather than their respective pensions!

 

[Quinney]

The sort of fires that necessitate real risk to life are, thankfully, relatively rare thanks to improved fire safety regulations and the advent of smoke alarms. Their job is to minimise that risk when they do deal with them, not to go recklessly in with no consideration for their own safety.

Please don't think I'm belittling what they do (I'd have liked to join myself at one stage in my life but my eyesight wouldn't meet their requirements): I just think a little bit of balance is required. They do great stuff at times, but so do the ambulance service, for example.[/QUOTE]

Would be interesting to know how many calls they got within the 4 hour strike window compared to the Ambulance service.

 

[Questions]

I believe that painting and decorating is one of their favourite second jobs as obviously its not too demanding.

Getting people in the West Worthing area to pay up is the hardest part of it.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I think their retirement age has been 60 for a while now: it's not that that's the issue as they could be moved into an office based role if it was becoming too much. The strike is connected to the pension and the fact they could lose out somehow on that.

Playing devil's advocate here, what's the difference between a firefighter cutting the roof off your car at 54 years and 364 days and one doing it at, say, 55 years and 12 days? You don't suddenly lose it once a specific date comes along.

Retirement age is, by definition, an arbitrary thing. The ones who are still fit enough to be on front line operations at 55 will still be going along, and the ones who aren't, won't. Regardless of what the government decrees is their retirement point.

The difference is that the medical is now different. Firemen who are incapable of wearing BA equipment and going into a building to carry out people at 55 will no longer be moved to a desk job but sacked as all desk jobs are civilian now.
It is also true that firefighters pay extra into their pensions ie. 12% so that they can retire earlier.

This is copied and pasted.

So a strike date is set, and tomorrow the smear campaign and hatred towards us will start...but I'm going to put it out there straight, my personal view of why I am striking..... it's not about money, if I wanted to be rich I would not of become a firefighter, I love my job...it's what I've always wanted to do...I don't ever want to stop doing it, but one day my body will start to fail under the extreme stresses the job puts it through, I stay as fit as I can to allow me to do my job but you know what....we cannot stop our bodies ageing....and after years of blood, sweat, tears, loyalty, unquestionable dedication emotional scarring from seeing some truly horrible heart wrenching scenes the day I'm unable to "as 55year old +" wear a BA set in hundreds of degrees of fire to rescue somebody or run up a ladder and pull someone out of a building I will be SACKED....because I'm unable to carry out my job..I will not be able to draw my pension because the government say its my fault that my body can no longer do it, The fire brigade used to put you into office jobs if you could not fulfil your operational roll....well now they can't because its all privatised, so it's easier for them to throw me on the scrap heap, I don't do my job for THEM....I do it for YOU I love "saving people" being part of a team that will be your life line during the worst possible moment of your life...but sometimes that leaves me haunted by the ones we could not save, I don't complain, I don't speak of it...I put on a brave face and pretend it doesn't affect me..but it does, but as of tonight the government and media will make myself and my colleagues across the country out to be vile, greedy, selfish monsters.....all because we don't want to be thrown on the rubbish tip and prevented access to our pensions all because our old bodies are broken.....I can't tell you how heart breaking it is to see your fire service being shredded apart all so a bunch of backhanding barefaced lying politicians can profit from its privatisation.

 

[vegster]

All be privatised soon anyway . Going the same way as the Nhs . Current stage is the media are running it down at every opportunity to brainwash the public. Soon the mps and their companies will get their greasy hands on it and it will become about profit and loss. Sad really .

Er ? I hardly think the media are " running down " the fire service, if anything the workers themselves are highlighting the fact that their very generous pay and working conditions might have to change to reflect the pay and conditions of the rest of us.

 

[edna krabappel]

The difference is that the medical is now different. Firemen who are incapable of wearing BA equipment and going into a building to carry out people at 55 will no longer be moved to a desk job but sacked as all desk jobs are civilian now.
It is also true that firefighters pay extra into their pensions ie. 12% so that they can retire earlier.

Similar to the police then (13-14%). Except that the police can't be made redundant. Or, to look at it the other way, go on strike over it.

I know it's not ideal but let's face it, the government have been after all public sector pensions (except, I imagine, their own) for a long time now and the fire service are no different. Maybe people don't want 60yr old coppers breaking up pub fights or chasing burglars either but that's the way it's heading whether we like it or not. The fire service won't win. The government simply won't let them (as they've already changed the retirement age rules anyway), I'm fairly confident of that.

 

[vegster]

The difference is that the medical is now different. Firemen who are incapable of wearing BA equipment and going into a building to carry out people at 55 will no longer be moved to a desk job but sacked as all desk jobs are civilian now.
It is also true that firefighters pay extra into their pensions ie. 12% so that they can retire earlier.

This is copied and pasted.

So a strike date is set, and tomorrow the smear campaign and hatred towards us will start...but I'm going to put it out there straight, my personal view of why I am striking..... it's not about money, if I wanted to be rich I would not of become a firefighter, I love my job...it's what I've always wanted to do...I don't ever want to stop doing it, but one day my body will start to fail under the extreme stresses the job puts it through, I stay as fit as I can to allow me to do my job but you know what....we cannot stop our bodies ageing....and after years of blood, sweat, tears, loyalty, unquestionable dedication emotional scarring from seeing some truly horrible heart wrenching scenes the day I'm unable to "as 55year old +" wear a BA set in hundreds of degrees of fire to rescue somebody or run up a ladder and pull someone out of a building I will be SACKED....because I'm unable to carry out my job..I will not be able to draw my pension because the government say its my fault that my body can no longer do it, The fire brigade used to put you into office jobs if you could not fulfil your operational roll....well now they can't because its all privatised, so it's easier for them to throw me on the scrap heap, I don't do my job for THEM....I do it for YOU I love "saving people" being part of a team that will be your life line during the worst possible moment of your life...but sometimes that leaves me haunted by the ones we could not save, I don't complain, I don't speak of it...I put on a brave face and pretend it doesn't affect me..but it does, but as of tonight the government and media will make myself and my colleagues across the country out to be vile, greedy, selfish monsters.....all because we don't want to be thrown on the rubbish tip and prevented access to our pensions all because our old bodies are broken.....I can't tell you how heart breaking it is to see your fire service being shredded apart all so a bunch of backhanding barefaced lying politicians can profit from its privatisation.

"FFS Bob, get off the computer, its your shot, you have 2 on the black "

 

[Uncle C]

Does anyone have any actual numbers that tell us what the size of a firemans pension is if he retires early?

 

[Questions]

Yeah but if you were trapped in your car with petrol pouring over you, would you be concerned that the guy trying to cut you out is having to take a break every 10 minutes to catch his breath, or are you happy for him to light up and have a quick smoke........

Subtle enough ?

Of course he can have a smoke. Good analogy mate, it's PC gone mad I tell thee.

 

[surlyseagull]

( I despair of some of the total brain dead on here who bang on about teachers and firefighters whilst they are probably flipping burgers and have nothing better to tax themselves with.Teachers work under terrible duress - probably from the offspring of the morons who like to whinge about the pay and holidays teachers get whilst not thinking about the sometimes horrid material they have to work with. Get real jobs, dingbats, and stop banging on about four hour stoppages by firefighters, and consider the toughness of their work, and whether it would truly be safe to have a Dads Army of firefighters putting their false teeth in before coming out to rescue you after you've fallen asleep in front of the telly after too much ale and a fag in your nicotine stained maulers.)


Nice to know there are some people who can look at things objectively !!!,everyone has an opinion and is entitled to one whether you agree or not ,and to label all who dont agree as brain dead or dingbats etc etc or flipping burgers ( not that there is anything wrong with that ) is so way off the mark .I certainly dont think teachers have a good ride of it ,my wife is one ,and I certainly dont think firefighters do either as my brother in law and friend are .But by their own admission they are very lucky and have not been adversely affected by the recession as the private sector have and that they also have good holidays and pensions .And as my brother in law points out the majority of their work is in the community and not fighting blazing infernos ( not that I am saying they have an easy ride when incidents happen ) and they both have jobs outside the fire service one is a painter and the other a plumber ,and many a time they have laughed about undercutting the full time trades people as they can afford to do it .And incidentally those people you refer to as flipping burgers may well love to be a firefighter along with many other mundane brain dead dingbats ,but will never have the chance because they are inundated with so many people applying ,so it cant be all bad ,so this in its self speaks volumes