While some parts of the UK experienced the wettest July on record, much of continental Europe experienced weeks of dangerously high temperatures, as well as tornadoes, flash floods and hailstones as big as golf balls.
Our climate is becoming more chaotic and destructive.
Firefighters are on the front line of this crisis, and we know from experience how under-resourced we are.
The FBU will continue to fight hard for decarbonisation. But we are also clear that after more than a decade of cuts, we will need serious investment in our service if we are to meet these demands.
As Matt Wrack writes on page 10, we will be making that case loud and clear as we approach a general election.
FIGHT FOR 52
In this issue, we set out our stall for 12 months of maternity leave on full pay, ending the postcode lottery and the shameful situation in which firefighters are forced back to work too soon after giving birth because they cannot afford to stay off.
This is part of a broader push for equalities in the service – under the banner Equality Matters – and we are determined to win it.
ANTI-STRIKE LAWS
Despite the best efforts of the trade union movement, the Strike Minimum Service Levels Act is now law.
Resistance to this anti-democratic piece of legislation is only just beginning.
Already, devolved administrations have said they will refuse to implement it.
By building a broad movement of non-compliance, we can render the government’s plans inoperable – and in the coming months, the FBU will do just that.
BREATHING APPARATUS
Some chief fire officers continue to press ahead with dangerous proposals to push firefighters above the bridgehead without activating their breathing apparatus (BA).
As we report on page 4, the Health and Safety Executive has now said it will investigate, after initially failing to intervene.
This is a direct result of our campaigning. The union’s position remains clear: you should not put yourself in a position of danger above the bridgehead with non-activated BA.
CUTS LEAVE SCARS
The FBU’s campaign against cuts in Scotland is reaching a pivotal stage.
These are some of the worst cuts faced by any fire service and we are determined to stop them.
A nationwide mobilisation will take place in Glasgow on 24 August. If you can come, please contact your region.
MERSEYSIDE
Though it only features briefly in this magazine, members should keep their eyes fixed on Merseyside, where members are facing big cuts to night-time control staffing; exploitative duty crewing systems; and an imposed expansion of the role.
The FBU is balloting for a control strike and action short of strike in the rest of the service, and we expect the dispute to be high profile later this year.
COMMON THREAD
Local reps and activists are the lifeblood of the FBU, and in this issue we report on several ongoing campaigns.
At first sight, they may seem unconnected, but common threads run through them all: government cuts and bad management practices.
● In Northamptonshire, an unaccountable fire commissioner tried to appoint a chief fire officer with no operational experience.
● Oxfordshire is trying to appoint officers with no operational experience.
● Kent’s fire chief persists with a degrading policy of “stripping off”.
● Cuts left East Sussex dangerously exposed when the Royal Albion Hotel caught fire.
The FBU’s response to all of these situations is the only one that makes sense: we need a well-funded fire service, led by firefighters and democratically governed.
