| The Fire Brigades Union | |
| Founded | 1918 |
|---|---|
| Members | 48,000 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Affiliation | TUC STUC EPSU PSI CSC JFC PSC Amnesty International |
| Key people | Matt Wrack, General Secretary
- formerly a Firefighter in London Fire Brigade Mick Shaw, President - Firefighter in London Fire Brigade Andy Dark, Assistant General Secretary - formerly a Firefighter in London Fire Brigade Alan McLean, Vice-President - Firefighter in Tyne & Wear Fire & Rescue Service John McGhee, National Officer - formerly a Firefighter in Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Service Sean Starbuck, National Officer - formerly a Firefighter in Humberside Fire Service Paul Woolstenholmes, National Officer - formerly a Firefighter in Suffolk Fire Service |
| Office location | Bradley House
68 Coombe Road KT2 7AE 020 8541 1765 |
| Website | www.fbu.org.uk |
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is a trade union in the United Kingdom for Wholetime Firefighters (including Officers up to Chief Fire Officer/Firemaster), Retained Duty System (RDS - part time) and Emergency Control Room Staff.
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It was founded in London in 1918 after a winning a strike for union recognition as the Firemen's Trade Union with recogntion as firemen only union, but soon grew to cover the entire country. In 1930, the union changed its name to the Fire Brigades Union.
During the Second World War it began to unionise auxiliaries for the first time. Today it has around 48,000 members, and represents the majority of firefighters, both Wholetime and RDS, and emergency control staff in the United Kingdom.
Led by its then General Secretary Andy Gilchrist, the union called a strike over pay and conditions in 2002 following an independent review of pay carried out by the same organisation that reviewed MP's pay. The strike did not achieve its goals and on May 5, 2005 a leftwing candidate, Matt Wrack, defeated Gilchrist in the election for General Secretary, attaining 63.9% of the vote cast (12,883 votes) on a total turnout of about 40% of the membership.
The FBU disaffiliated from the Labour Party in 2004 and calls for reaffiliation have been repeatedly defeated.
FBU – A Brief History
1906 Firefighters in London, Belfast and Manchester start to join Trade Unions.
1913 London Firefighters form branch of National Union of Corporation Workers (former NUPE, now UNISON).
1918 Victory in London after strike threat forces County Council to concede demands for separate Union and after merger with the Firemen’s Benefit Society formed the “Firemen’s Trade Union”, with recognition based on “Firemen only” organisation.
General Secretary, George Gamble (from Benefit Society).
1919 Government set up Middlebrook Committee to investigate pay, hours and conditions in Fire Brigades.
1920 Manchester Fire Brigade merged with Police by City Council to keep out Trade Unions.
1922 George Gamble left. Jim Bradley General Secretary. Widened to other Brigades passed 2,000 members.
“YES” ballot to join Labour Party and set up a Political Fund.
1923 Affiliation agreed to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), 1925 to STUC.
1929 Jim Bradley dies. Percy Kingdom elected General Secretary. Problems with “Police/Firemen”. (Police not allowed in a Union) and Police parity struggle. 1930 Union name changed to “The Fire Brigades Union.”
1939 Percy Kingdom retires. John Horner elected General Secretary. War breaks out. FBU has 3,000 members. 100,000 Auxiliaries accepted into their section.
1941 Fire Service NATIONALISED. Recognition for Fire Brigades Union in National Fire Service; membership up to 71,500 in the first year!
1943 FUSION Conference. Single united Union. 'Firemen’s Charter' demands: 1. Rate for job £4 a week 2. Full pay when sick or injured 3. A just discipline code 4. Shorter hours – 2 shift 72 hours 5. Promotion on merit. Home Office proposed Fire Service Federation. TUC opposition. Dropped and formed National Associations of Fire Officers – NAFO. Union denied rights.
1945 War ends. FBU membership down to 15,000. National Joint Council (NJC) and Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council (CFBAC) set up.
1947 Labour Government shaped post-war Fire Service. Fire Services Act 1947. 148 Brigades – County and County Borough.
1951 Conservative Government. Struggles for pay, pensions, hours etc. Well supported “spit and polish” emergency calls only demo after consolidation of rent and pay. End of Police parity. Ross inquiry 16/6p rise no parity.
1956 Duty Systems Agreement.
1957 Fire cover and manpower report from CFBAC.
A.B.C.D. Risks. 5 and 4 staffing levels on 75% of occasions. Union refused to sign it.
1960 Service for Sixties campaign. Cleaners on Stations. Fire Prevention for firefighters, 48 hours. Pay; Chores; Training; Exams.
1961 Principle of 48 agreed. Fight to keep national rate of pay and substantial agreed rise. Fire Service Technical College based at Moreton in Marsh started.
1964 John Horner retired to become MP. Terry Parry General Secretary. 48 hour week agreed but most watches on 56 hours.
1965 New London Fire Brigade formed. 48 hours plus rostered overtime.
1966 Labour Government’s Prices and Incomes Board recommends 48 hour week with 8 hour “bonus shift.” i.e. 56 hours for extra £170 per annum, up to maximum £1,170 per annum agreed.
1967/70 Holroyd Inquiry. Many of aims in “Service for Sixties”. Strike threat by London’s firefighters over low pay and allowances. Home Counties disputes on “London Weighting.”
1970 Holroyd Report into the Fire Service recommends that firefighters should be paid in line with “national average earnings of skilled craftsmen,” and that they should be used extensively on fire prevention duties.
1970 Home Counties dispute over local pay rates. 86 Essex firefighters locked out. Recall Conference. National Emergency Calls Only Action. NJC Agreement. Government interference (Maudling pay pause) 10% plus.
1971 Cunningham Inquiry into the work of the Fire Service reiterates that firefighters would be better employed on fire prevention duties than cleaning fire stations! Pay related to 40 hours and enhanced pay after Qualified Fireman and skills and pay. Long Service rate to Sub Officer and below. Control pay link.
1972 Conservative Government pay freeze starts.
1973 Glasgow Firefighters strike, about low pay again. The first all-out strike in the Fire Service lasted 10 days and broke the Conservative Government’s pay policy. FBU overtime ban introduced at same time as 48 hour week. National unsocial hours payment and 48 hour week. 4,000 plus recruits.
1974 Reform of Local Government now 64 Brigades. Consequential reform of Union structure. Recall Conference (Government “threshold” pay limits led to call for 40 hour week. Ban on overtime and Wholetime/Retained). 1975 Emergency calls only on above claims for three months Labour Government “Social Contract” £6 a week.
1976 5% pay limit.
1977 Pressure building up. Stage 3 pay policy. NJC Working Party on job evaluation. Home Office study group recommended 42 hour week. McCarthy evaluation – comparison with generality of jobs in community principle. Claims lodged. Rees/Callaghan pressure. Employers say 10%. Recall Conference. Executive Council wanted to talk some more, overturned by 25,000 to 13,000 vote at Conference. 14th November start of 9 week strike. Government adamant on 10% but offered (eventually) to underwrite a future deal on pay and hours. Failure to get total backing of TUC. 9th December offer made including a formula. More negotiations.
1978 12th January Recall Conference in Bridlington EC recommendation, no further progress to be made; accepted 28,000 to 11,000. 16th January return to work. 10% 7th November. 42 hour week from
1978. Upper quartile agreement plus. Recall Conference on terms for the 42 hour week.
1979 1st April 42 hour week commenced.
1980 Terry Parry retired, succeeded by Ken Cameron. After Recall Conference Pay Formula phased 13% and 6%.
1982 National Officer Mike Fordham defeats incumbent Richard Foggie in Assistant General Secretary election. Start of Government attacks. “Future Fire Policy” and changed role of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. Following major constitutional discussions aimed at ending the NAFO dominance (7-3) of the Officers Committee, including a High Court injunction from NAFO on the Employers and FBU, a Recall Conference, the Employers abandoned the NJC to form a new Joint Council with two separate Committees. 1. Lower Ranks Committee (only FBU). 2. Officers Committee (8 FBU; 8 NAFO). Terry Parry died after a brief retirement. 1986 Audit Commission “Occasional Papers.” Political Fund “Review Ballot” 87% Turnout 80% YES vote in a workplace ballot.
1987 Review of Officer members saw a further change to the constitution of the NJC Officers Committee in favour of the Union (9 FBU; 7 NAFO). Bill Deal retires. Ronnie Scott elected President.
1989 Working Parties on “Occasional Papers.” 1. CFBAC (technical) 2. NJC (Home Office on Conditions of Service).
1992 999 Campaign. Lobby of Parliament after OFTEL proposal to transfer 999 Service to call handling agency.
1993 Following Tory Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, the Union waged a campaign to protect jobs and maintain the Formula. An FBU lobby of the Home Office closed Queen Anne’s Gate. Two Recall Conference with vote to commence national ballot for a series of national one-day strikes, commencing 8th November. NJC agreed to full implementation of Formula and Employers pledged commitment to its continuation.
1993/5 Local Government Review creates Combined Fire Authorities.
1995/6 Government inspired budget cuts saw a series of strikes in Merseyside and Derbyshire, with ballots for strike action in Surrey and Essex.
1996 Political Fund “Review Ballot” 57% Turnout, 85% YES vote in a postal ballot. Three new Fire Brigades formed from the former eight in Wales. Demise of NAFO, who lose place on NJC. FBU now sole Union on NJC for Local Authority Fire Brigades.
1997 John Horner, the architect of the modern day FBU, died. Essex members take strike action against proposed cuts in local fire cover.
1998 Essex members again take strike action over local cuts in fire cover – a total of 36 strikes over a four-month period. Employers propose major changes to Scheme of Conditions of Service – union launches “Smash and Grab” Campaign.
1999 Equality Sections ratified at Annual Conference. HMI Thematic Report on Equality in the Fire Service finds service to be institutionally racist and sexist, although praises leadership role of FBU. Home Secretary establishes Inquiry into the Machinery for Determining Firefighters’ Conditions of Service to be conducted by Professor Frank Burchill, after National Joint Council (NJC) effectively suspended due to “Smash and Grab” dispute. Ronnie Scott retires. Mick Harper elected President.
2000 “Burchill Report” accepted by both sides of NJC. Ken Cameron retires. Andy Gilchrist elected General Secretary.
2001 Strike action in Merseyside over refusal of Chief Fire Officer to accept outcome of NJC Disputes Panel.
2002 Union launches Pay Campaign with aim of £30k salary for Firefighters; parity for Retained and Control members; and new Pay Formula. After breakdown of negotiations, 10 days of national strike action in November. Mick Harper retires. Ruth Winters elected President.
2003 Pay Dispute continues: 5 further days of national strike action in January and February. Dispute finally resolved when Recall Conference in Glasgow in June accepts pay and conditions offer from employers.
2004 Continuing dispute over payments arising from Stage 2 of the June 2003 agreement leads to further ballot for national strike action. Dispute resolved before ballot concluded. Annual Conference votes to disaffiliate from Labour Party. New Fire and Rescue Services Act, tearing up post-war structure of Fire Service.
2005 Matt Wrack defeats Andy Gilchrist in General Secretary election. Strike action in Suffolk over cuts in local fire cover. Strike action in West Midlands over imposition of new shift system.
2006 Strike action in Hertfordshire over cuts in local fire cover. Strike action in Merseyside over cuts in local fire cover; staffing levels in Control Room; shift systems; and secondary contracts.
2007 Incumbent President Ruth Winters declining nomination, Mick Shaw elected President unopposed.
2009 Industrial action in Humberside over imposition of polices and arrangements without agreement. Strike action in South Yorkshire over imposition of polices and arrangements without agreement. Industrial action in Essex over imposition of polices and arrangements without agreement. Industrial action in London over imposition of policies and arrangements without agreement. Industrial action in Merseyside over victimisation and sacking of Union Official.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is the main union for firefighters in the United Kingdom. A union is a group of workers. They make the group to improve pay and working conditions. It was founded in 1918 in the London area as the Firemans Trade Union. It soon grew to cover the entire country. Today, it has around 50,000 members.
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