Socialist Party member
Fire Brigades Union (FBU) national conference met in Blackpool the same week that Labour’s potential winter fuel allowance and two-child benefit cap U-turns hit the news. It was also the first FBU conference to take place under the new general secretary Steve Wright.
With RPI inflation for April running at 4.5% and Labour offering public sector workers below-inflation pay deals, a potential showdown between the public sector trade unions and Labour is taking shape. The situation in the FBU is different however. In April, the FBU Executive Council recommended acceptance of a 3.2% pay deal to members, which was accepted ahead of the conference.
What can firefighters win?
The Executive Council argued for acceptance on the basis that, at that stage, the offer was greater than what was budgeted for by the government for education and health, in addition to the pay offer coming with a “commitment from employers to negotiate with the FBU on pay progression”. Since then, still inadequate pay offers higher than 3.2% have been tabled for other public sector workers.
Anger at yet another below-inflation pay offer found expression at the FBU conference from delegates. The second morning of the conference, the Executive Committee moved an emergency resolution on pay which raised the possibility of an early recall conference ahead of May 2026 to discuss next steps if negotiations on the issue of pay progression weren’t to the satisfaction of members.
In the debate which followed, it was clear why the EC moved the motion. Some delegates spoke about the need to break with the pattern, which developed during the tenure of the ex-general secretary Matt Wrack, of the leadership postponing steps towards industrial action over the issues of pay and conditions.
Delegates also spoke about not wanting to return to conference in May 2026 to discuss yet another pay offer secured without a serious fight against the government and that, if progress wasn’t made in talks on workload, pay progression and funding for the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), FBU conference should be recalled early to discuss a timetable for industrial action.
According to the FBU, central funding for English fire services for 2025-26 is increasing by 1.4% in cash terms. But this is far lower than inflation. So, in reality, it’s a massive cut. Many FBU members will be left wondering why a timetable for industrial action isn’t being set now to fight Labour for the funding the FRS needs.
Reform and far-right threat
FBU conference also came hot on the heels of right-populist Reform’s increased vote in the May local elections. An EC policy statement entitled ‘Opposing the Threat of the Far Right’ correctly highlighted the threat posed to the working class in Britain, as well as the need for the trade union movement, including the FBU, to mobilise its members to counter far-right mobilisations in the streets and in local communities. A motion passed from Scotland made the link between austerity and the rise of the far right.
Unfortunately however, beyond internal education programmes and articles targeted at FBU members, no strategy was put forward to cut across growing support for Reform.
The FBU is affiliated to the Labour Party, only reaffiliating under Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-austerity leadership. In government, and with Starmer as leader, Labour is now presiding over cuts to fire services, on top of those made by the Tories.
An industrial struggle to win funding and a real-terms pay rise is needed. It would be strengthened by a political struggle too, including FBU supporting candidates to fight on the side of the working class against this austerity Labour government.
