Firefighters could strike over pension changes Firefighters could be set to strike over a rise in the amount they contribute to pensions, and not being able to collect until well past the age that they are fit to serve. Firefighters union chief issues strike warning at Holyrood rally. UK government accused of "extortion" by police officers union. A police union has also called for control of pensions to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, with police officers facing similar changes to firefighters. Hundreds of firefighters attended a Fire Brigades Union (FBU) rally outside Holyrood, supported by the Scottish Police Federation, in protest at the pension contribution rises devised by Westminster and passed on by the Scottish Government. Firefighters could pay up to 17% of their wages into their pension and be forced to work until they are 60, or leave early without access to their pension, according to the FBU. Talk is cheap National officer Sean Starbuck told the rally: "We are facing a pension scheme which is unworkable, unsustainable, unaffordable, unfair and has a normal pension age that people cannot work to. Ignoring us is not an option. The choices are that they listen to us, and that's out of our hands, or we ballot for national strike action. At this moment in time, conference is telling us that we must do everything that we can to avoid that, but if we can't do anything then the next step is to ballot. Talk is cheap; they've got to deliver. Calum Steele, general secretary of the rank-and-file Scottish Police Federation, said: "The position for Scotland's police officers is simply preposterous. The Scottish Government can determine the number of police forces in Scotland, it has a phenomenal amount of influence over the number of police officers, it's ultimately responsible for determining police pay, but it cannot determine how much the pension should be. More powers He accused the UK Government of "extortion" by forcing the Scottish Government to choose between passing on the cut in police pensions or taking a cut in the Scottish block grant. "There is an obligation on the Scottish Government to take £20 million of police officers" money from them, because if they don't then the equivalent amount will be taken from the rest of Scotland's public sector," he said. There is an emerging consensus that, irrespective of what happens in 2014, the Scottish Parliament should have more powers. Given that they are responsible for paying out pensions, this seems to be a fairly non-controversial place to start.