Thousands of UK firefighters to be balloted for strikes over pay
GuardianSep 06, 2022
Following discussion between Fire Brigades Union (FBU) branches and its executive council on Fri., the FBU announced on Tues. that UK firefighters and firefighter control staff are set to ballot on strike action.
The FBU's 32.5K members will vote on whether to hold the union's first industrial action in a decade, having rejected a June offer of a 2% pay raise which hasn't been increased despite rising inflation.
Strike action is always a last resort, but there's absolutely no question that firefighters must take steps to secure fair pay. These public servants risk their lives and can now no longer afford to live - the ball is in the court of the fire service employers to offer decent wages in the current economy.
While fair pay is inarguably important, going on strike isn't the way to get there. The continuous threat of industrial action hinders life-saving services, putting Brits everywhere at risk. The case against industrial action couldn't be clearer.