Thursday 15 August marks two years since the start of the Grenfell Tower inquiry . The inquiry has yet to publish any findings and has delayed the start of phase two until 2020. The...
Fire budgets could be cut in favour of policing, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has warned after fire authorities lost a bid to block a takeover from West Mercia's Police and Crime...
Fires in England have increased by almost 10% this year, while the government continues to cut fire and rescue services. The overall number of incidents, including flooding and...
This year marks the 200th anniversary of a key event for democracy and the trade union movement in Britain – one that was brushed...
Dr Shane Ewen tells Jeff’s story as a reminder of the sacrifices firefighters make to protect their local communities and his...
Riccardo La Torre, FBU Eastern regional secretary and Sacha Ismail, Free Our Unions campaign organiser, say that we need strong legal...
For years firefighters’ pay has been eroded due to austerity. The Fire Brigades Union is fighting back.
The pay freeze imposed by central government has cut the real wages of FBU members while cuts to funding have resulted in the loss of thousands of fire service jobs.
Pay Consultation 2019On 11 September 2015, the government set out plans to enable Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to take over the fire and rescue service.
Firefighters provide a humanitarian service, they are not agents of the state nor are they law enforcers. Firefighters play a neutral role in our communities.
No to PCC takeoverThe Westminster government cut its funding to the fire and rescue service by 30% during the course of the last parliament.
As a result nearly 7,000 frontline jobs were lost. That’s one in eight firefighter jobs gone. Stations, appliances and equipment were also cut.
Save our Fire and Rescue ServiceThe FBU keep Members of Parliament updated with the issues and challenges facing the UK’s firefighters through its Fire and Rescue Service Matters parliamentary bulletin.
Fire and Rescue Service MattersThe government is hastily pushing its flawed Trade Union Bill through parliament. The Bill is the biggest raft of attacks on workers’ rights since the 1980s.
This government was elected with just 37% of the vote and the support of just 24% of the electorate. Yet they want to impose thresholds on our ballot.
Defend workers’ rightsFirefighters and emergency control staff are at risk of losing their FBU membership if they do not make the switch to pay their union subs by direct debit. As a result of the government’s Trade Union Bill the method by which most members pay their subs, check-off, will be abolished.
Don’t let them silence you. Make the switch today.
Switch to Direct DebitEngland is now the only nation in the U.K. where firefighters are not given a statutory duty to respond to flooding incidents.
The FBU argues that a statutory duty for firefighters to attend floods would help fire and rescue services, other emergency services and the government as a whole to plan effectively and reduce risk to life and property. Such a duty has already been adopted in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Flooding dutyBefore 2010, firefighters already contributed one of the highest proportions of their salary towards their pensions (11%), and in April this year it increased for the third year running.
The government has increased contribution costs for firefighters for the third year running rising to more than £4,000 a year from a salary of around £29,000.
Hands off our pensionsFirefighters from across the UK are campaigning to protect their local fire and rescue services, many of which are on the receiving end of record funding cuts as a result of government imposed austerity.
You can find a selection of some of the campaigns being run by FBU branches from across the UK.
Local campaigns
