Burnham-On-Sea firefighters have this week joined a 24-hour nationwide strike as part of a long-running dispute with the government over pensions.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members walked out in Burnham at 9am on Tuesday (December 9th) and returned to service at 9am today (Wednesday, December 10th).
Fire Minister Penny Mordaunt said the strike action was “completely unnecessary”.
This is the 48th period of industrial action since the dispute began. The last strike action, lasting four days, took place at the end of October.
Union officials say that under government proposals, firefighters will have to work until they are 60 instead of 55, pay more into their pensions and get less in retirement.
The plans will leave firefighters at risk of dismissal as their fitness declines into their 50s, the FBU said.
