Friday 28 November 2003 - News - Fire safety
Firefighters accept new phase of pay deal
Firefighters have voted
to accept the latest phase of their pay offer despite anger over
the increase being staged, it was announced today.
Members of the Fire Brigades Union voted by 3-1 in favour of the deal, ending the threat of further industrial action. The turnout in a ballot of 53,000 firefighters was 56%, the union announced.
Firefighters across the UK staged unofficial action earlier this month in protest at a 7% increase being paid in two stages. They argued that they had expected the rise to be paid in one go, but employers maintained the union had always known it would be staged.
The first stage of 3.5% was paid on November 7 and the rest will be paid in the new year after it is ratified by the Audit Commission.
A spokeswoman for the local authority employers said: "We are very pleased with the result of the ballot. We can now get on with modernising the fire service."
FBU general secretary Andy Gilchrist said: "We have agreed a raft of major changes which have now been delayed by the utter stupidity of fire service employers.
"This is a period of major change in the fire service but after this many will be questioning the competence of management in actually carrying it out."
Johnny Thomson
Members of the Fire Brigades Union voted by 3-1 in favour of the deal, ending the threat of further industrial action. The turnout in a ballot of 53,000 firefighters was 56%, the union announced.
Firefighters across the UK staged unofficial action earlier this month in protest at a 7% increase being paid in two stages. They argued that they had expected the rise to be paid in one go, but employers maintained the union had always known it would be staged.
The first stage of 3.5% was paid on November 7 and the rest will be paid in the new year after it is ratified by the Audit Commission.
A spokeswoman for the local authority employers said: "We are very pleased with the result of the ballot. We can now get on with modernising the fire service."
FBU general secretary Andy Gilchrist said: "We have agreed a raft of major changes which have now been delayed by the utter stupidity of fire service employers.
"This is a period of major change in the fire service but after this many will be questioning the competence of management in actually carrying it out."
Johnny Thomson
