Mark Francois, Minister of State for Communities and Resilience with responsibility for the fire and rescue service, struck a first by visiting the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) headquarters in Kingston upon Thames in Surrey this week – meetings between the FBU and government ministers usually take place at Westminster.
The minister met with Matt Wrack, the FBU’s general secretary and the union’s vice president. He listened to concerns about cuts and creeping privatization which, if allowed to continue, are set to decimate the service further.
Matt Wrack said: “The meeting was a good opportunity for us to raise our concerns with Mark Francois so soon after the election, and we felt he listened. Whether he will do anything to protect our diminishing fire and rescue service and the employment and pension rights of the brave men and women who are our members remains to be seen.”
