UK Firefighters and control room staff could strike in a row over pay after the Fire Brigades Union said its members have suffered a 12 per cent drop in real-terms earning. A ballot over industrial action closes today (January 30) and if the vote is for action it will be the first nationwide fire service strike over pay since 2003.
Since 2010, firefighters have experienced a 12% drop in real-terms earnings, the union says, while in the same period around one in five firefighter jobs have been cut. Members rejected a below-inflation 5% pay offer last November.
The union said polling shows strong public support for strike action by firefighters, with around three in five people backing action. FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Firefighters have faced a sustained attack on pay for more than a decade, with average pay falling by about £4,000 in real terms.
