The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) today announced they are calling a special conference in November for firefighters to debate and then vote on whether the union re-affiliates to the Labour party. The FBU disaffiliated from Labour during 2004 after a bitter pay dispute under the Blair government.
The FBU, one of the first trade unions to come out in open support of Jeremy Corbyn, is recommending to its members that the union re-affiliates to Labour. The union is encouraging discussion and debate around the issue as the key conference topic, while taking particular account of the differences in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Matt Wrack, FBU General Secretary, said “We have seen a remarkable turn of events during the summer, which we hope will change the political landscape to make for a fairer, more just Britain. The Labour leader is fully and unreservedly pro trade unions. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have supported the FBU for many years. In fact, more than a decade ago they co-founded the FBU’s parliamentary group, of which they are still both members.”
The FBU will make it clear to all members that the union’s political fund from Scotland and Northern Ireland will not be used for the re-affiliation.
The ‘recall’ conference is taking place for one day in Blackpool on Friday, 27 November 2015.
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Watch Matt Wrack discuss the Labour re-affiliation debate on BBC News.
