Firefighters and control staff have voted to reject a 5% pay offer in a result that FBU leadership say displays “remarkable strength of feeling”. A strike ballot will now be held.
In the consultative ballot 79% voted to reject the 5% offer, with 78% of eligible members voting in the ballot.
A ballot on strike action will open on Monday 5 December to Monday 30 January.
If you’re an FBU member and your postal address has changed or you think it might be wrong, it is absolutely vital that you contact [email protected] as soon as possible.
Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said:
“FBU members have spoken. This result of the consultative ballot, on a two week turnaround, shows that there is remarkable strength of feeling amongst firefighters and control staff on this derisory pay offer. The ball is in the employers’ and government’s court. There is still an opportunity to resolve this dispute and we will be writing to Fire Ministers and government departments across the UK requesting urgent meetings.
“We have firefighters using foodbanks. Our members worked through the pandemic to help protect their communities, taking on extra duties to do so. A further real-terms pay cuts is an absolutely disgusting way to thank them. Whilst strike action is always a last resort, our members simply can’t go on like this.”
Whilst government is not directly responsible for pay negotiations it directly provides a significant proportion of the funding for fire and rescue services across the country.
Annual inflation (CPI) is currently at 10.1%, according to the ONS.
This article was updated on 25 November to reflect updated ballot dates.
