Firefighters' Rights in England and Wales

Who this guide is for

Firefighters employed by a fire and rescue authority in England or Wales, both:

• wholetime firefighters, and
• on-call firefighters (the retained duty system), including day-crewing.

What this guide does not cover

• Firefighters in Scotland or Northern Ireland: see Firefighters' Rights in Scotland or Firefighters' Rights in Northern Ireland.
• Brigade managers, and support staff on other terms.
• Your general rights as an employee: see Your Rights as an Employee in England, Wales and Scotland.
• Ballots, picketing and the general strike rules: see Can My Employer Refuse to Recognise Our Union in England, Wales or Scotland?.
• Whistleblowing: see Whistleblowing at Work in England, Wales and Scotland.
• Your pension in detail: ask your fire and rescue authority's pension administrator.
• Tribunal time limits in detail: see Employment Tribunal Claims in England, Wales and Scotland.

What the rules depend on

1. Are you wholetime or on-call?
2. Which authority employs you? England or Wales.
3. What is it about? Pay and conditions, a strike, part-time treatment, hours, your pension, or an assault.
4. When did it happen? That date decides your tribunal time limit.

"What are the Grey Book conditions?"

The National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services (NJC) agrees national pay and conditions. Its agreements are in the Scheme of Conditions of Service known as the Grey Book. The current edition is the 7th edition, updated April 2025.

The Grey Book covers uniformed employees other than those in brigade management roles. It says the conditions of service of part-time employees are the same as those of full-time employees, pro rata where appropriate. Your own contract says which terms apply to you.

"Can firefighters strike?"

Yes. The union must follow the general rules, such as balloting and giving notice.

• The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was repealed on 18 December 2025.
• From 18 February 2026, dismissing someone for taking part in protected industrial action became automatically unfair, however long the action lasts. This applies where you started taking part on or after 18 February 2026.
• Also from 18 February 2026, a union must give 10 days' notice of industrial action instead of 14, and a ballot mandate lasts 12 months instead of 6.

"I'm on-call. Do I get the same as wholetime?"

The Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 give a part-time worker the right not to be treated less favourably than a comparable full-time worker:

• in the terms of your contract, or
• by any other detriment.

This applies only if the treatment is because you are part-time and is not justified on objective grounds. The pro rata principle applies unless it is inappropriate.

A comparable full-time worker must work for the same employer under the same type of contract, doing the same or broadly similar work, normally at the same establishment (or at another one if there is no one suitable at yours). Where relevant, similar qualifications, skills and experience are taken into account.

"Do the working time limits apply to firefighters?"

Mostly, yes. Fire brigades are one of the "civil protection services" in the Working Time Regulations 1998. Regulation 18(2)(a) says some of the rules (including the 48-hour week, night work limits, rest periods, rest breaks and annual leave) do not apply:

"where characteristics peculiar to certain specific services such as the armed forces or the police, or to certain specific activities in the civil protection services, inevitably conflict with the provisions of these Regulations"

This is not a blanket exclusion. It applies only to those activities that inevitably conflict. For everything else, the normal rules apply.

Separately, the night work limits and the daily rest, weekly rest and rest break rules do not apply where civil protection services need continuity of service. If you have to work during a rest period, your employer must wherever possible give you an equivalent period of compensatory rest.

"What is happening with my pension?"

The age discrimination remedy (often called McCloud or Sargeant) followed a court finding that transitional protection unlawfully discriminated against younger members of the judicial and firefighters' pension schemes.

• The older (legacy) schemes closed for service after 31 March 2022. From 1 April 2022 everyone in service is in the newer (reformed) scheme.
• For the remedy period, 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022, eligible members can choose legacy or reformed scheme benefits.
• If you are still working, the choice is made when your pension becomes payable. If you already get your pension, you are given a choice as soon as possible.

Your fire and rescue authority's pension administrator can tell you whether you are eligible.

"What if I'm assaulted or obstructed at work?"

Under the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018, anyone employed or engaged to provide fire services or fire and rescue services is an emergency worker. It makes no difference if the work is paid or unpaid. Common assault or battery against an emergency worker acting in the exercise of their functions carries a higher maximum sentence: up to 2 years in prison on indictment.

Under the Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006, it is an offence to obstruct or hinder, without reasonable excuse, a person employed by a fire and rescue authority in England and Wales who is responding to emergency circumstances. The maximum is a level 5 fine.

Report it to the police. Your employer also has health and safety duties: see Health & Safety at Work: Your Rights in 2026.

"What is the National Framework?"

Fire and rescue authorities must have regard to their national framework:

• England: the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England, published 8 May 2018.
• Wales: the Fire and Rescue National Framework for Wales 2026, in effect from 30 March 2026.

The frameworks set government priorities for fire and rescue authorities. They do not change your contract.

Deadlines you must meet

• Most employment tribunal claims: 3 months less 1 day from the act you are complaining about. It is 6 months less 1 day only where that act (or the last act in a series) happened on or after 1 October 2026.
• Notify Acas within your time limit. Early conciliation pauses the clock. If you contacted Acas on or after 1 December 2025, early conciliation can last up to 12 weeks.

Money figures

From 1 July 2026 (NJC pay award, circular NJC/2/26):

• Firefighter (competent): £40,358 a year basic pay.
• Firefighter (development): £31,539 a year basic pay.
• On-call firefighter (competent): full annual retainer £6,054, hourly rate £18.43.
• On-call firefighter (development): full annual retainer £4,731, hourly rate £14.40.
• On-call disturbance payment (per call-out): £5.31.
• Assault on an emergency worker: up to 2 years in prison on indictment.

Traps

• The working time exclusion for civil protection services is not a blanket exclusion.
• The minimum service levels law no longer applies. It was repealed on 18 December 2025.
• On-call firefighters compare themselves with a comparable full-time worker under the same type of contract.
• The 2006 obstruction offence needs the firefighter to be responding to emergency circumstances. The 2018 Act covers assault while acting in the exercise of functions.
• Do not use the 6-month tribunal limit for an act that happened before 1 October 2026.