Row over fire pensions
Updated on 15 October 2007
As the postal strike threat appears to recede, a Fire Brigade dispute may be looming.
The Fire Brigades Union has launched court action after three firefighters had their ill-health pensions taken away because of rules introduced by the government.
The FBU's lawyers argue that as a result it will be virtually impossible for any firefighter to take early retirement due to ill health in future.
Martin Marrion worked for London Fire Brigade for 27 years until his career ended prematurely in January 2006.
He says his progressive loss of hearing was caused by attending hundreds of explosions at work.
Mr Marrion says he was refused a desk job and given an ill-health pension.
Reluctantly. he decided to appeal the size of his pension award as he felt it didn't adequately take into account his loss of hearing. But there was a shock in store.
The Appeal Board decided to take away his pension completely.
He was told the rules had changed after his retirement.
Goverment guidelines meant a firefighter could only get an ill-health pension if they were not fit to do a desk job, something he had asked for but was refused.
Two of Mr Marrion's colleagues have also had their pensions withdrawn and the Fire Brigades Union is outraged.
It has launched a judicial review into what it says is an unjustifiable attack on the pension rights of its members.
The Union argues ill-health pensions are crucial because the job is so dangerous.
Latest figures show that in 2004 -2005 almost 2,500 firefighters were injured on the job in England alone.
