The law dictates that trade unions cannot spend money on political objectives unless this has been approved by a ballot of members
The FBU’s political fund is used for political campaigning and to lobby politicians on behalf of our members at Westminster and in the devolved governments, no matter who is in power.
The FBU’s political fund enables the FBU to:
- Lobby on laws that affect the interests of firefighters
- Campaign on issues that matter to firefighters
- Advocate improvements for firefighters and the fire and rescue service
- Raise awareness with the public and politicians of FBU policies.
The Westminster government does not want firefighters campaigning for our rights.
Under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, trade unions cannot spend money on political objectives unless approved by a ballot every 10 years.
To meet this rule, the FBU will ask members again this spring to vote to renew our political fund.
The FBU is asking members to answer with a resounding ‘Yes’, just as we have done before.
Here are 10 reasons why the political fund is crucial to the union’s ability to stand up for our members and for the fire and rescue service.
The ballot is expected to take place in April
10 REASONS WHY FIREFIGHTERS NEED THE FBU’S POLITICAL FUND
LOBBIES OF POLITICIANS
FBU members assembled in Westminster last November to launch our Firefighters’ Manifesto. The year before we rallied at Westminster as part of our pay campaign. FBU members have done the same lobbying with devolved governments and politicians in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. FBU delegations regularly meet politicians to make our demands. The FBU organises a parliamentary group of sympathetic MPs to support our case and raise our issues in Westminster. The political fund pays for this work.
FIGHTING FOR PAY AND PENSIONS
When the Westminster government capped firefighters’ pay and attacked our pensions, the FBU organised concerted campaigns to defend members. Without those campaigns, firefighters’ basic conditions would now be far worse
OPPOSING CUTS AND PRIVATISATION
Westminster cuts have slashed nearly 12,000 firefighter jobs since 2010. Wholetime, retained and control have all suffered. Ministers have tried to privatise parts of the fire and rescue service. The FBU has organised local and national protests, including demonstrations, letters and stunts to get our message across. The political fund helps us campaign for investment.
CAMPAIGNING WITH OTHER ORGANISATIONS
The Westminster government is imposing minimum service levels, designed to attack firefighters’ right to strike. The FBU works with other unions and organisations to campaign for trade union freedom, oppose all anti-union laws and defend collective bargaining over pay and conditions. The political fund pays for much of this work.
SAFETY FIRST
Firefighters rightly prioritise health and safety. It’s an arduous job and we expect protection. All of our safety campaigns depend on the political fund. The DECON campaign involves making a political case to governments for the necessary investment. Mental health support needs funding. Our BA safety campaign means engaging with the Health and Safety Executive, including making challenges through the political structures. That’s what the political fund is for.
SOLIDARITY WITH FIREFIGHTERS GLOBALLY
Firefighters in the UK share an affinity with our sisters and brothers abroad who do the job. The FBU works with other firefighter unions internationally, to learn from their campaigns and to build our own. The FBU has a proud record of solidarity with people suffering across the globe.
EQUALITY MATTERS
Firefighters want a profession and a world free from discrimination, bullying and harassment. This requires campaigning within the service and wider world. It means fighting for 52 weeks paid maternity leave, tackling sexual harassment, opposing racism and homophobia. It means working with other organisations with similar objectives. The political fund pays for this work.
TRADE SECTIONS
Our members in officer, control and retained sections of the service face problems that politicians can fix. The FBU campaigns against the unfair taxes on our officer members who use their own vehicles for work. The FBU fought off regional controls because it would have devastated our industry – it was a political campaign. The FBU fights for working time, pensions and other equal rights for retained firefighters. We need a political fund to do this
COMMUNICATIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
The political fund pays for many of the tools the FBU produces to communicate with politicians and the public. Our reports, submissions, briefings, social media and much else helps the FBU to get our message to a wider audience.
GENERAL ELECTION
Firefighters will have the chance to put all politicians to the test later this year in a general election. The FBU provides members with an organised political voice, to hold politicians to account and to commitments to fund public services. The NHS, the welfare state and our fire and rescue service depend on our willingness to campaign. To give firefighters a voice, we need a political fund.
