{"id":247632,"date":"2025-11-06T16:27:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T16:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/247632\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T16:27:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T16:27:17","slug":"farages-gold-plated-pension-reform-plan-faces-firefighters-strike-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/247632\/","title":{"rendered":"Farage’s ‘gold plated’ pension reform plan faces firefighters strike threat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Firefighters<\/a> have warned they could go on strike if Nigel Farage\u2019s Reform UK<\/a> wins power and tries to cut \u201cgold-plated\u201d public sector pensions.<\/p>\n

Richard Tice<\/a>, Reform\u2019s deputy leader, is set to confirm on Wednesday that the party would axe defined benefit pension schemes for public sector workers, arguing they are too expensive for the state and therefore threaten the health of the economy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) warned that firefighters would \u201cfiercely resist\u201d any attempts to cut any retirement packages<\/a> that they have already paid into.<\/p>\n

New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.<\/p>\n

A defined benefit pension<\/a> gives retired workers a guaranteed income, usually based on a portion of their wages, for as long as they live.<\/p>\n

This differs from a defined contribution pension, where people pay into a pension pot that is invested, and then take responsibility for making that money last for their later years.<\/p>\n

The i Paper understands that threatened measures against the plans include strikes and other industrial action if Farage \u2013 whose party has led opinion polls for months<\/a> and could win the next election \u2013 were to lead government cuts to firefighters\u2019 pensions.<\/p>\n

Reform \u2018would cut pensions for nurses and teachers\u2019, says TUC<\/p>\n

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) said Reform\u2019s plans would mean cutting the pensions of nurses and teachers among other public servants.<\/p>\n

FBU general secretary Steve Wright accused Reform of being a \u201cparty led by millionaires\u201d.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cFirefighters will be shocked that the multi-millionaire deputy leader of Reform UK wants to raid the pensions of firefighters and other public sector workers.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirefighters put their lives and their health on the line day in and day out to protect the public. Farage and Tice are threatening firefighters\u2019 hard-earned pensions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe FBU will fiercely resist any attempt to cut the pensions that firefighters have already paid into.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cFirefighters\u2019 pensions have been systematically attacked by various governments over the years, and Reform UK, while professing to be different, are clearly demonstrating that they are no different at all from those who have previously attacked firefighters\u2019 pension.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact they intend to go further than previous governments ever did by getting rid of defined benefit pensions for public sector workers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the forthcoming Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves<\/a> must urgently introduce a wealth tax to properly fund public services, pensions and increase pay for all workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak added: \u201cOnce again Nigel Farage has shown his true colours. It\u2019s laughable that he claims to be on the side of working people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the man who wants to cut the pensions of nurses, teachers and other hardworking public servants, deliver more austerity for our hard-pressed public services, and keep workers on zero-hours contracts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA Union that represents civil servants<\/a> said Reform\u2019s plans would make it harder for the government to tempt talented people away from the private sector<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThe public sector already has a pay crisis with tens of thousands of unfilled posts in health, care and teaching. In the civil service -which is the lowest payer in the public sector- it struggles to attract the skills from the private sector that Reform say they are keen to attract.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnding defined benefit schemes, which were radically reformed a decade ago to bring costs down, will only make this worse and key public service roles less attractive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are also no quick fixes when it comes to pensions, with financial commitments already locked in for millions of public sector workers. So this is no silver bullet, it\u2019s an ideological attack on public servants.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny government that wants to improve public services needs to invest in its people, skills and technology. A race to the bottom on pensions will do nothing to deliver this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018We cannot allow our country to go bankrupt\u2019<\/p>\n

Tice, who will unveil his plans in a speech on financial deregulation at Bloomberg\u2019s offices in the City of London on Wednesday, suggested that defined benefit pensions would be \u201con the table because we cannot allow our country to go bankrupt\u201d.<\/p>\n

He told Times Radio: \u201cThe liability of the unfunded pension schemes in the public sector is so enormous, no one actually knows how big it is. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe OBR [Office for Budget Responsibility] says it\u2019s about \u00a31.5trn, but it could be as high as two and a half. It\u2019s heading north at a colossal rate every single year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s off balance sheets. So no one sort of sees it, but we all know it\u2019s a major, major problem, and we\u2019ve got to deal with it. And that requires [the] political courage that we have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tYour next read<\/p>\n


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