Latest editorial
A firefighter in Parliament Square, central London
FIREFIGHTERS and control room staff overwhelmingly backed a new pay deal today, ending their months-long dispute over wages.
A whopping 96 per cent of Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members endorsed the settlement, 7 per cent backdated to July 2022 and a further 5 per cent from this summer, on a turnout of 84 per cent.
The improved offer from fire and rescue service employers came after the sector’s workforce delivered a massive mandate for national strikes in January.
Since 2010, one in five firefighter jobs has disappeared alongside 30% funding cuts — all while climate breakdown brings record blazes and flooding. It’s time to fund our fire service properly, writes FBU general secretary STEVE WRIGHT
The FBU is demanding 52 weeks of full pay for women firefighters, highlighting the unique health risks they face — and the continuing need to recruit and retain more women if policies like this are still not in place, writes SEONA HART
