Strike action is always a last resort, but we are left with no other option.
STRIKE BALLOT
By the time you are reading this, you should have received a ballot paper in the post to your home address. This is undeniably a historic moment. If a national strike were to take place, it would be the first national strike since pension action between 2013 and 2015, which did not include control, and the first on pay since 2002-2003.
We are rarely driven to these lengths, and nobody wants to be in this position, but after years of derisory pay increases and a pay offer that is well below inflation, firefighters’ and control staff’s living standards are in peril.
Since the employers’ 2% offer in June this year, the union and you, our members, have been gearing up for this moment.
We have been organising, meeting, debating, and voting. This ballot is your opportunity to stand up for your profession, to say enough is enough: to join with railway workers, postal workers, and nurses, who are all voting with their feet.
The hard work begins now, to mobilise our members, to show the government and chiefs that we mean business. That we will not stand for it anymore.
I know that this is a daunting and worrying time for members.
Christmas is around the corner and circumstances are forcing you to make difficult decisions for your families. But if we do not use this opportunity to stand up for what is right, we risk losing ground for another decade.
Strike action is always a last resort, but we are left with no other option.
We asked for a pay increase that takes into account the cost of living crisis and did not receive it.
The ball is still in the employers’ and government’s court. We urge them to provide a decent pay offer and help bring this dispute to an end.
LFB CULTURE REVIEW
As Firefighter was going to press, the review looking at culture in the London Fire Brigade had just been published.
Clearly, we need to take its findings extremely seriously, and a thorough assessment will be undertaken by the union and actions taken forward.
It is important that the union is clear from the very outset that misogyny, racism, homophobia or transphobia are not tolerated in our structures.
I found the report a difficult read. I deeply respect and admire those who serve in fire and rescue services, and it was truly heart-breaking to read of the horrific experiences of some firefighters.
We must use this opportunity to do better, and to create a service that is inclusive of all.
The FBU will play its part to make sure this becomes a reality.
In spite of the hardship we are all facing during the cost of living crisis, I wish you, and your family, a merry Christmas and a very happy new year.
Did you know?
The combined wealth of the United Kingdom’s 250 most affluent individuals and families is £700 billion
