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The Fire Brigades Union is preparing to ballot firefighters across the county for strike action, following an “insulting” two per cent pay offer.
The union is not the first to strike this summer and follows a trend of discontent amongst workers, including Royal Mail staff, rail workers, train drivers and communication staff who have all walked out over pay, conditions and jobs.
A letter shared with this newspaper, which is being sent out to union members today (September 5), states the Executive Council decided at their September 2 meeting there is “is no other option” than to ballot for a strike action “to fight for fair pay”.
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On June 27, the union received a two per cent pay offer from the fire service employers.
This pay rise was seen by Executive Council as an “insult” to firefighters.
“The offer was utterly inadequate in the face of the emerging cost of living crisis when FBU members are increasingly struggling to make ends meet,” the council stated.
Following a period of national consultation with members, this offer was rejected unanimously by the Executive Council on July 18 and the result relayed to fire service employers on the same day.
Despite this, the union has not received any improved proposal from fire service employers.
Steve Wright of the FBU
A spokesperson for the Fire Brigades Union continued: “We must achieve fair pay for FBU members. The current situation cannot continue and only through standing and fighting together can we achieve a desperately needed pay rise.
“The ball is now in the fire service employer’s court. It is not too late for them to make a substantially better pay offer for consideration by our members.”
The aim of the union is to ballot members for strike action in 5 weeks’ time and the Executive Council will reconvene within three weeks to further develop plans for industrial action.
Steve Wright, executive council member for the Fire Brigades Union’s southern region, said: “No firefighter wants to go on strike, that is the crux of this. No worker wants to go on strike.
“Firefighters join the service to help people so we definitely do not want to go on strike but there is an opportunity to stop this, for the employers to put forward a decent pay offer.
“It has got to the point now where the employers are treating us with such contempt that we are left with no option, that is how our members feel.”
He added: “The 2 per cent works out at around £12 a week for a fully trained firefighter. We the cost of living crisis and real terms wage cuts, it is not really cutting it.
“Our members are suffering just like every other public sector worker.”
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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.
You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry
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