Firefighters have moved closer to taking industrial action by rejecting a five percent pay increase. Crews and control staff voted overwhelmingly to snub the offer in what union bosses say displays a "remarkable strength of feeling". It was a three percent increase on an offer made in the summer.
Nationally 79% voted to reject the 5% offer, with 78% of eligible Fire Brigades Union members voting in the ballot. The ballot was a consultative ballot of union members on the 5% pay offer and not a ballot for strike action. Next steps will now be decided by the Executive Council, but the union say they will be moving to a ballot on strike action. Around 32,500 members took part in the vote.
The rejection comes after fire service employers on the National Joint Council made the revised five percent offer. An initial offer of two percent had been unanimously refused in July this year.
Firefighters went on strike over pensions almost a decade ago and there was a lengthy strike over pay almost 20 years ago which saw The Army taking over some firefighting duties in Greater Manchester.
Manchester-born Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said: “FBU members have spoken. This result, 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.”
The government is not directly responsible for pay negotiations but it provides a significant proportion of the funding for fire and rescue services across the country.
Meanwhile Merseyside firefighters, control staff and non-uniformed staff have “overwhelmingly” voted to take action short of strike in relation to a host of issues in Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.
The Percentage of those voting who voted “Yes” to Action Short of Strike is 88.06%. The action short of strike will consist of a refusal to undertake pre-arranged overtime, beginning no earlier than Thursday 1 st December 2022 and potentially lasting for 6 months.
The ballot comes after a serious break down in industrial relations between Merseyside Fire Brigades Union and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority and the failure to reach agreement on several issues.
The Merseyside ballot and subsequent action is entirely separate from any national ballot or action which may take place in relation to pay.
The issues which have led to the ballot for action short of strike include: The reduction in night-time staffing numbers in Merseyside Fire Control Room from the agreed level of 6 to 5; the introduction of new duty shift systems which require new firefighters to work both wholetime and retained and breach nationally agreed terms and conditions in relation to overtime rates of pay.
