Demonstration near 38 High Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1BE at 3pm Saturday 3 May 2014

Firefighters and supporters from across Essex will hold a demonstration in Chelmsford town centre on Saturday against the government’s attacks on their pensions and cuts to the fire and rescue service.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union are on strike between noon and 5pm on Friday, 2pm and 2am on Saturday and 10am and 3pm on Sunday.

Supporters from the Chelmsford branch as well as Southern and Eastern Region of the TUC will also be attending.

Riccardo la Torre, chair of the FBU in Essex, said: “The government must listen to reason and accept that all the evidence demonstrates that their proposals for firefighter pensions are unfair, unworkable and unaffordable — and that cuts to the service are putting lives at risk.

“None of us want to be on strike but we can’t just watch our service being decimated — and our pensions destroyed.

“We know that the communities of Essex are behind us as we try to make sure that public safety is put first, and that firefighters don’t lose half their pension just because they can’t stay fit enough to pull people out of burning buildings when they’re 60.”

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