SCOTTISH firefighters have warned Finance Secretary Shona Robison they could take strike action in the new year unless more cash is found for the service in the upcoming budget.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) says the situation with funding for the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) is now critical and cannot be ignored.
FBU Scottish secretary John McKenzie has now urged Ms Robison to use the budget on December 19 to take urgent action to reverse what the union described as a “decade of cuts that have resulted in the loss of over 1,200 jobs, the withdrawal of front-line fire appliances and a huge backlog of repairs and maintenance to fire stations.”
Mr McKenzie said: “The Finance Secretary is in the last-chance saloon. Shona Robison must provide a significant increase in the budget for the service if we are to avoid strike action in 2024.
“Our members are not prepared to sit back and watch more jobs go and the service reduced to a shell through year-on-year cuts.”
At a rally in October FBU Scotland chairman Gus Sproul said the service had cut more than 1,200 jobs since it was set up in 2013, with the union predicting another 780 posts could be lost in the near future without improved financial support.
Fire service chief officer Ross Haggart has previously told MSPs at Holyrood that it could have to make savings of between £14 million and £26m next year, which could see the withdrawal of 18 appliances.
A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Despite difficult financial circumstances due to years of UK government austerity and high inflation caused by the mini budget, we are providing SFRS with more than £368m this year, an increase of £14.4m on 2022-23.
“The Deputy First Minister said previously that the UK government’s autumn statement delivered the ‘worst-case scenario’ for Scotland’s finances.
“Ministers are assessing the full implications of that statement and the budget for 2024-25, including the resource and capital allocations for SFRS which will be announced on December 19.”
