The FBU has agreed to the pay proposal put forward by fire and rescue service (FRS) employers. The Executive Council (EC) agreed to the implementation of the pay proposal on 28 June, after considering the results of a members’ consultation, which took place over a three week period. The National Joint Council (NJC) has now issued the new rates of pay and CPD.
The pay proposal, at a 1.5% increase (with effect from 1 July 2021), has been recognised by the EC as not enough to address the long term needs of members. However, prior to the member consultation the EC acknowledged the need to urgently improve the wages of FBU members and therefore agreed to recommend to members that the pay proposal be implemented.
The EC also stated that the offer ‘reflects the chronic underfunding of our service by central government, who continue to treat firefighters and other key workers with utter disrespect’. They noted the irony of the Johnson government on the one hand asking the public to clap for key workers, and on the other failing to improve the pay of those same workers, including firefighters.
Additionally, the EC noted the moves by the government and FRS employers towards a pay freeze which had taken place over the preceding eight months. In November 2020, the Chancellor announced a further pay freeze for public sector workers, and some FRS employers responded to this by budgeting for a freeze on pay. A significant number of Chief Fire Officers and local employers had then refused to clarify if they would support a pay increase offer at the National Joint Council. It has emerged that a number of fire service employers had argued within the employers’ side of the NJC for a further pay freeze for 2021.
