FBU accuses employers of reneging on pay deal

The
Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has accused the Government and local authority
employers of failing to fulfil the pay promises that brought an end to the
bitter 10-month dispute.

The
industrial action came to an end in June after the union backed down from its
demands for a 40 per cent pay rise and accepted 16 per cent instead.

The
union claims that local authorities have now gone back on a deal to pay 7 per
cent of pay increases now and the rest in July 2004.

Instead,
firefighters’ employers are offering 3.5 per cent now, 3.5 per cent in the New
Year and the rest in the summer.

The
employers said that the pay rise had to be approved by the Audit Commission
before it could be fully applied, and this could never have happened until the
New Year.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

Email(Required)

OptOut

From time to time, we will send you emails about selected products, events and services from Personnel Today - but you can choose to opt-out at any time. If you do not wish to receive these emails, please tick this box.

Phone

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Δ

Andy
Gilchrist, general secretary of the FBU, expressed ‘outrage and anger’ at the
decision.

By Michael Millar