General secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions GAWAIN LITTLE calls for support and participation in the national partnership organised to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1926 general strike
Scotland's fire services at breaking point
Underinvestment and cuts have imperilled Scottish firefighters’ ability to adequately respond to all manner of emergencies, writes JOHN McKENZIE

LAST week the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) launched a consultation on the future of the fire and rescue service in Scotland.
This consultation follows the publication last year of the FBU’s groundbreaking Firestorm report which exposed the growing crisis in this vital emergency service.
Because, make no mistake about it, after over a decade of sustained underinvestment the SFRS is in crisis. Over 1,200 firefighter jobs have been cut since 2013 and a growing recruitment crisis within the retained service undermines the first line of emergency fire and rescue cover provided for over 80 per cent of Scotland’s landmass.
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