Firefighters are preparing to strike for the first time since 2003 after real profits fell by 12% | UK News

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Firefighters are set to strike in succession over wages after experiencing what they say is a pay cut in real terms.

Members of the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) voted in favor of the measure in a ballot that closed on Monday – triggering the fire services’ first UK-wide strike over pay since 2003.

Firefighters overwhelmingly supported the strike, with 88% voting yes on a 73% turnout.

The union said it had given the government and employers 10 days to come up with an improved proposal that could be put to a vote by members in a bid to head off strikes.

The union says firefighters have seen a 12% drop in earnings in real terms since 2010, while one in five firefighter jobs has been cut in the same period.

It comes after members refused a bonus of less than 5% inflation in November.

The union said polls had previously shown strong public support for a strike by firefighters, with about three in five individuals backing the strike.

Matt Wrack, FA general secretary, said: “This is an absolute last resort for our members. The responsibility for any disruption to services lies squarely with the fire service employers and government ministers.

“Rishi Sunak’s government has refused to provide funding to offer decent wages to firefighters and monitoring staff.

“Firefighters have been among Britain’s COVID heroes who have kept frontline services going during the pandemic. The Prime Minister has badly misjudged the public mood by imposing pay cuts on key workers.”

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Warrack also said firefighters had faced “a sustained attack on wages for more than a decade with average wages down by around £4,000 in real terms”.

He continued, “Our members face dangerous situations every day and sometimes risk their health to perform the work.

“Faced with double-digit inflation and skyrocketing energy bills, they are now being asked to endure an even larger wage cut in real terms.”

Mr Warack said: “Meanwhile, the UK is home to a record number of billionaires. People join the fire service because they want to help people and serve their community.

“We have been pushed to the polling point by a government that refuses to listen,” he added.

The strike announcement comes after research by the FBI and the University of Central Lancashire found that firefighters are more likely to die from cancer than the general public.

The firefighters’ strike was announced shortly after the teachers announced they would be out on Wednesday with more strikes planned for the following weeks.

The National Education Union announced seven days of strikes in England and Wales in February and March, and Wednesday’s strike is expected to affect more than 23,000 schools.

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