ON-CALL Hereford and Worcester firefighters will receive a pay increase of up to 20% for their annual retaining fee.

Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority today (June 12) agreed the move in a bid to help recruit more firefighters.

Services chiefs said they were finding it more challenging to recruit new entrants, in particular on 120 and 100 hour contracts.

They also said retaining those staff for the duration of their working life is proving challenging.

An on-call questionnaire carried out in 2018 demonstrated that Hereford and Worcester on-call staff felt undervalued.

One of the main reasons highlighted was that they feel underpaid for the commitment that they give.

Also, due to the decrease in operational activity over recent years on-call pay has significantly decreased for this element of their role.

The full annual retainer ranges from £2,291 for a trainee firefighter up to £3,785 for a competent watch manager.

Firefighters on contracts ranging from more than 120 to 80 hours will attract an additional 20% pay while those on 50 and 40 hour contracts will receive a 5% increase.

This was agreed by all involved including the Fire Brigades Union, Fire Officers Association and the Fire and Rescue Services Association.