FBU general secretary Matt Wrack has written to fire and rescue employers in relation to the registration of trade disputes with them, and to try and progress pay negotiations.
He has written to ask “that you offer our members on Grey Book terms and conditions a substantial pay increase that takes into account the current level of inflation and the cost of living crisis”.
He added that if an offer that met expectations was not received by Monday 28 November the union would enter into a formal dispute and notice of ballot would be served to employers.
Whilst fire and rescue employers have responsibility for pay negotiations governments are responsible for substantial parts of their funding. The FBU has requested urgent meetings with fire ministers and government departments across the UK.
The current pay offer for firefighters and control staff is 5%. Annual CPI inflation currently stands at 11.1%.
You can read the full text of a generic version of the letters that have gone to various employer figures here:
Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Registration of Trade Dispute
We write this letter to you over the issue of pay. As you are aware we have been engaged in negotiations over the pay of our members employed under Grey Book terms and conditions of employment and these discussions have failed to reach any resolution.
In light of the failure to make any acceptable progress on pay we are writing this letter to put you on notice this Union intends to enter into a dispute with you over the issue of pay which will amount to a trade dispute for the purposes of section 244 of the Trade Union & Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
This letter therefore constitutes a formal demand that you offer our members on Grey Book terms and conditions a substantial pay increase that takes into account the current level of inflation and the cost of living crisis. The offer that has been put forward in negotiations thus far is wholly unacceptable and we demand a significant increase which is considerably in excess of what has been proposed.
If we do not receive such an offer by 10:00 am on Monday 28 November 2022 that meets our expectations in relation to pay then this union will enter into dispute with you and we will serve you with a notice of ballot pursuant to section 226A of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
This dispute will continue to exist until such a time as we receive a pay offer for our members employed under Grey Book terms and conditions that we are able to recommend and which they feel able to accept.
We have also written to the Chair and Secretary of the Employers’ side of the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services making the same demand.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Matt Wrack
General Secretary
Image credit: Stefano Cagnoni
