Firefighters could go on strike as their union is holding a ballot on industrial action in the wake of a pay offer that is significantly below inflation.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will ask its 32,500 members to vote on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action, which could involve a strike. The FBU says firefighters and control room staff were offered a two per cent pay rise in June, which has not increased despite inflation soaring to 10.1% in July.
That below inflation pay offer would be a “significant real-terms pay cut”, said the FBU. It will hold a ballot in five weeks, in early October, and any strike would have to be at least two weeks after voting finishes, so late October at the earliest.
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FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Taking strike action is always a last resort but our employers are increasingly leaving us with no choice.
“There is huge anger among firefighters at falling pay. Firefighters must be paid fairly – there is absolutely no question when it comes to this.
“It is the responsibility of fire service employers to provide decent pay offers and that has not happened. The ball is now in the fire service employers’ court. It is not too late for them to make a much better pay offer for consideration by our members.”
Firefighters went on strike over pensions almost a decade ago and there was a lengthy strike over pay almost 20 years ago.
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