Fodd bynnag, mae rhesymau da dros drin diffoddwyr tân fel achos arbennig.  Yn wahanol i’r rhan fwyaf o gategorïau eraill o weithwyr y sector cyhoeddus, maen nhw’n gorfod dilyn safonau ffitrwydd caeth iawn.  Yn anochel bydd nifer o ddiffoddwyr tân hŷn yn ei chael hi’n anodd cyrraedd y safonau hyn, ac mae mynnu eu bod yn gweithio tan eu bod yn 60 yn peri risg go iawn na fyddan nhw’n gallu gwneud hynny.  Gallai hyn olygu eu bod yn colli eu swyddi ond yn methu hawlio eu pensiynau, neu fod eu pensiynau’n lleihau’n sylweddol.  Achosodd y materion hyn wedi anghydfod diwydiannol hir gydag Undeb y Brigadau Tân.  Rwy’n cydymdeimlo â’r pryderon hyn i raddau.  Fodd bynnag, mae eu hunion effaith yn dibynnu ar amgylchiadau a hanes gyrfa unigolion.  Felly roedd angen i mi ymgynghori’n fanwl ynghylch y materion hyn.
However, there are good reasons for treating firefighters as a special case.  Unlike most other categories of public sector workers, they are subject to very stringent fitness standards.  Many older firefighters will unavoidably struggle to meet these standards, and requiring them to work to age 60 raises a real risk of their being completely unable to do so.  This in turn means they could lose their jobs while still being unable to claim their pensions, or having them heavily reduced.  These issues caused a long-running industrial dispute with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).  I have some sympathy with these concerns.  However, their exact impact depends on firefighters’ individual circumstances and career histories.  So I needed to consult in detail on these issues.