FBU young members gather around a banner with illustrations from discussions around the fire service

Young workers organise!

Firefighter catches up with FBU activists at the union’s first Young Members’ School this summer Recep (Aj) HAWKINS Avon   Age 21   I joined Avon Fire and Rescue Service in December 2021 and did 14 months on call before applying to go wholetime - that’s when I met FBU reps. Since then I’ve been to a...
Paula Dunne of Strike Map with a megaphone at the bin strike picket line

Shut it down!

Birmingham bin workers’ fight against pay cuts has seen them take on the city council – and the government – in one of the most significant strikes of recent years, writes Paula Dunne of Strike Map Climbing into the minibus at quarter to five in the morning, nine of us travelled to Birmingham as...
FBU conference 2025 delegates holding signs saying fund our fire service

Conference round up: 2025

Every year hundreds of delegates, elected from FBU brigades across the UK, travel to the union’s annual conference to democratically decide the union’s priorities, policies, and rules.  Firefighter reports on the main decisions and debates from the conference floor in Blackpool’s Imperial hotel this...
Tom Wass smiles at camera in front of a fire engine

Tom Wass, Brigade Organiser Mid and West Wales

What made you want to become a rep? I transferred to Mid and West Wales five years ago. There was no FBU rep at my station. Having started my career in Essex, seeing the benefit of the union and how important it is to have a functioning branch I stepped up to be the rep – and haven’t looked back...
Elon Musk thinking and looking forwards with his hands up to his mouth

Musk versus workers

As UK politicians start to echo Trump and Musk’s attacks on public sector workers, Eric Blanc writes on how workers are starting to fight back in the US – and what we can learn  “I’m a federal worker, and I feel like a canary in the coal mine right now—because what they’re doing to us is going to...