Firefighters called for better maternity pay at a rally outside a meeting of the South Yorkshire Fire Authority in September.
The union’s Fight for 52 weeks campaign has resulted in several services increasing maternity provision to 12 months of full pay.
However, South Yorkshire currently lags behind, offering only 26 weeks compared to 52 weeks in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. Only 8% of the firefighting workforce in South Yorkshire are women, and firefighters are urging their service to provide better maternity pay to aid recruitment and diversity.
An FBU representative was denied permission to question the authority. Instead, firefighters addressed councillors directly outside the building.
Robyn Richardson, FBU national women’s committee chair, said:
Fire and rescue service employers cannot continue dragging their feet when it comes to fair maternity pay. We will not stop fighting until every fire and rescue service provides the necessary 52 weeks full maternity pay.”
