Firefighters reject pay deal as union calls for ‘serious changes’

Firefighters in Scotland have rejected a new pay offer amid a warning from their union that proposed changes to their job roles moved a “step too far” towards social care.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) rejected the offer from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) by a margin of 60 per cent to 40 per cent on an 81 per cent turnout.

The FBU says plans for firefighters to take on “significant areas” of health and social care work would see them attend incidents involving “slips, trips and falls”, as well as assuming increased responsibility for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidents.

That change, the union said, could see firefighters corespond to life-threatening injuries.

Denise Christie, FBU Scotland secretary, said: “Our members have turned out in their masses at meetings across Scotland and to vote in this ballot.

“The consensus is clear; we want and deserve a pay increase, but the offer in its current form is unacceptable.

“We’ve been consistent throughout negotiations. Real progress has been made since the last offer was rejected in June, but some serious changes are needed to make this acceptable to our members. The SFRS need to listen to the concerns of their staff and get back around the negotiating table.”

The pay deal put forward by the SFRS would have seen basic pay rise in stages to July 2022 by 14.74 per cent compound, with an overall increase of 17 per cent compound.

According to Martin Blunden, chief officer of the SFRS, the pay offer would mean a firefighter would receive a basic salary of £35,734 by July 2022.

Firefighters in Scotland and control staff rejected a previous pay offer last July.

That initial offer was refused over concerns including how the proposed changes to a crew member’s role would impact on core responsibilities and training, as well as the proposed pay increase.

The FBU also highlighted issues over the ability of the Scottish Ambulance Service and health and social care partners to carry out their duties when co-responding to incidents alongside fire crews.

Commenting on the rejection of the latest deal, Matt Wrack, the FBU general secretary, said: “In negotiations, we were concerned that this offer would not be acceptable to our members in Scotland – and this clear result serves as proof. Firefighters are emergency responders, but are no substitute for social care staff. This offer was a step too far in that direction.

“We continue to be entirely open to discussions about securing a fire and rescue service fit for the challenges of the future. This is not the time to walk away from negotiations.”