We are the voice of firefighters and the fire and rescue service in the UK. Promoted by the Fire Brigades Union, 171-173 Gray’s Inn Road, WC1X 8UE
United Kingdom
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The FBU is aware that pro-Palestine protesters are holding further demonstrations in Leicester.
Previously, firefighters have been asked to assist the police in removing protestors.
The FBU advises all members not to be involved in law enforcement activities.
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Israeli authorities have impounded a fire engine donated by Scottish firefighters to aid Palestinian firefighters.
Yesterday, we went to the Israeli Assembly to deliver a letter demanding the fire engine is released.
Firefighters must be able to protect and save lives.
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Firefighters and fire control staff know their worth. A 2% pay offer is an insult after 12 years of government-imposed reductions in real wages and in a cost of living crisis.
We'll now put this offer to members, recommending they reject it.
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BREAKING💥: after weeks of discussions with members, our Executive Council has unanimously rejected employers' insulting 2% pay offer.
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What absolute scenes from firefighters and fire control staff today 📣🤩
Are you listening Westminster? It’s #FairPayOrFireStrike 💥
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Firefighters line the Royal Mile in Edinburgh for the funeral of Brother Barry Martin.
Today we mourn the loss of a dedicated member of the community and a brave firefighter. We come together in his honour.
Alan Zycinski
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Firefighters and control staff are at the end of their tether. We're preparing the ballot for strike action.
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We've been asking the same question. But sadly it seems much of the media has lost interest now it's corporations on the stand.
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11,500 firefighters cut since 2010 + extreme weather conditions = a recipe for disaster. It's simple maths.
The government aren't listening. They need to fund our fire service. And pay our firefighters more.
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No building should react to fire like this in the 21st century - we need a complete overhaul of UK fire safety.
Thank you for the amazing work of crews on the ground.
#BoltonFire
lght.ly/gfd2hd5
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.@UKLabour was built by workers, for workers. We're appalled by Labour leadership's lack of support for striking workers & sacking shadow ministers who stand on picket lines
They need to remember who they represent & show solidarity for those fighting for a more equal society
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Huge cuts were made to London Fire Brigade in the years before the Grenfell fire. Cuts which hampered efforts to tackle the fire.
The Mayor who oversaw those cuts?
Boris Johnson.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry isn't taking evidence from him. It must.
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Every single Tory MP who voted against this amendment should hang their heads in shame.
Outraged that Government & our very own MP @FelicityBuchan voted against amendment to implement #Grenfell recommendations. Its no surprise as the Gov continue to fail the country - almost a year since the recomendations & so little has been done. 1000s still in dangerous homes.
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🚨Reform UK have declared war on public sector pensions, including firefighters and council staff.
Multi-millionaire Richard Tice wants to slash pensions, cut pay to cover existing schemes and put new recruits on worse terms. Tice plans pension poverty for hard working public sector workers.
Firefighters threaten strikes in 10 Reform council areas in pensions row trib.al/t4RZcpT
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🚨 NEW | We have written to Home Secretary Suella Braverman to ask for a meeting about our safety concerns on the Bibby Stockholm.
As the union representing the overwhelming majority of firefighters, we are driven by the need to prevent loss of life and protect public safety.
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To the @RMTunion Transport for London workers on strike today - we stand right with you.
Your fight is our fight 🤝
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Nearly two weeks after firefighters told employers that they've rejected their offensive 2% pay offer, we've still not received a new & improved offer
Our EC has agreed that our work preparing for a ballot on national strike action will continue. Firefighters demand pay justice.
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💥 This is huge 💥
The numbers speak for themselves.
🗳️ After more than a decade of falling pay, firefighters have voted by an overwhelming margin for strike action. 🗳️
We stand firm. ✊
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Fire bosses keep calling wildfires "unprecedented" as they try to deflect attention from their and the government's underresourcing.
What a joke - you can't cut a fifth of the workforce and expect the service to work fine. We can all see what's happening.
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NEW: The government is trying to restrict firefighters' and control staff's right to strike by requiring minimum levels of service.
The FBU and the entire trade union movement will fight this pernicious attack on workers by all means available to us.
fbu.org.uk/news/2023/01/05/f…
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It is utterly outrageous that 11,500 firefighters have been cut over the last decade: the government and fire and rescue services knew climate change was coming.
Last week is a consequence of their dreadful neglect.
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⚠️Firefighters are taking to the streets speaking to voters in Runcorn and Helsby with a clear message:
❌Firefighters DO NOT TRUST Reform UK
A Runcorn firefighter says: "Farage pretends to be anti-establishment... but we see through the spin."
Here's why👇
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“You’ve got firefighters going to foodbanks and firefighters who can’t afford their mortgages"
Firefighters urgently need the government and fire employers to get their act together and put forward a decent pay offer.
Our members can't wait.
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In this heatwave, we've seen:
15 fire services declare major incidents
Firefighters & control staff recalled due to staff shortages
Firefighters injured & hospitalised
This wasn't unprecedented. This is the impact of cuts & a government that won't take climate change seriously.
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Our members giving evidence to the Grenfell Inquiry this week have acted with honour, integrity and bravery. Not only did they show great courage in tackling the most extreme & unprecedented fire, they relived those events this week as part of the fight for justice
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2% tax on assets worth over £10m would raise £24bn/year.
Starmer's welfare cuts will only save £5bn/year.
Instead of making the poorest and most vulnerable pay for years of austerity, it's time to introduce a wealth tax.
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We've won back our pensions! Merry Christmas! 🎉
lght.ly/g3k1cf
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Solidarity with the brilliant @RMTunion rail workers as they strike today.
There is no rail industry without rail workers. There is no economy without workers. Every worker deserves decent pay.
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That’s right. We’re on board and ready for the fight 👊
#EnoughIsEnough comrades.
NEW: #EnoughlsEnough is proud to announce our latest affiliation.
Welcome aboard @fbunational! The cuts to our fire service are a national disgrace – we’re behind you in the fight to save it 👊
Join our growing movement: wesayenough.co.uk
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Firefighters risk their lives running into fires, yet find themselves running out of cash to pay their bills every month.
It shouldn't be this way. And workers have had enough. The tide is turning in the fight against the cost of living crisis.
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📢After nine months of campaigning, our pay dispute is at an end. Firefighters will now receive a 7% backdated pay rise and another 5% this July.
🚒The strength and unity of FBU members won this result, and collective bargaining was crucial.
Our fight goes on ✊
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Evidence today at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry was a damning indictment of privatisation, de-regulation and the pursuit of profit over public safety.
Here’s why:
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We have laid a wreath to honour the 72 lives lost in the Grenfell Tower fire.
It was a tragedy that never should have happened.
We stand in solidarity with the community in their search for justice.
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We know whose side we're when we see far right mobs attacking refugees and politicians playing the mood music.
The FBU is proud to have coordinated this statement, which has now been signed by general secretaries from across the trade union movement.
theguardian.com/uk-news/2023…
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The Fire Brigades Union stands against the campaign of racist violence being waged by the far right.
Solidarity with all those facing islamophobia, violence and intimidation.
Our statement in full:
(1/4)
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🚨NEW| Eric Pickles must be stripped of his peerage, says @MattWrack:
"Ministers were reckless, dishonest and negligent. If moral responsibility was the deciding factor, they would be first in line for criminal investigation".
theguardian.com/politics/art…
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Twenty one years ago today 343 firefighters lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks - much-loved family members and friends who would never return home.
Today, we remember them and all the victims of these attacks.
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Last week we told employers that unless we received an improved pay offer we would formally give notice of a strike ballot.
We have now done that. It's #FairPayorFireStrike.
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Firefighters reportedly attended an automatic fire alarm at the Radcliffe Camera library in Oxford this morning.
During previous demonstrations, police have asked firefighters to help remove protesters.
Firefighting is a humanitarian role. The FBU advises members not to assist with law enforcement activities.
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Yesterday, we were presented with a new offer. It is for 7% backdated to July 2022, and another 5% from July 2023.
This offer is testament to the power of collective action, but we will also be honest and sober in our discussions.
Our statement:
fbu.org.uk/news/2023/02/08/f…
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Remember the golden rule. Never, ever cross a picket line.
Solidarity with all @RMTunion rail workers on strike today ✊
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The fire and rescue service cannot survive another five years of Tory government. We need #RealChange for our firefighters.
#GE19
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Firefighters and control staff stand with ambulance workers striking today ✊
Every worker deserves to be paid fairly. Every worker in the emergency services deserves to be paid fairly.
#FairPayForEveryWorker
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Hey @BorisJohnson! You weren't fit to run the London Fire Brigade. What makes you think you're fit to run the country?
#GE19 #LeadersDebate #BBCDebate
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Hi @MattHancock, we're not entirely sure that a newspaper having to buy PPE from abroad - in what has been dubbed a 'crisis intervention' - is the success story you think it is. It's embarrassing and shameful, actually.
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The suspension of four Labour MPs is outrageous and authoritarian.
Our response:
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Three and a half years ago, a fire in Grenfell Tower took the lives of 72 people.
But today, there have been few consequences for the corporations and politicians who turned their home into a death trap.
We reaffirm our commitment on this day to fight for justice for Grenfell.
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🚨 PENSIONS ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
Government LOSE appeal to Supreme Court. FBU WIN landmark case.
🎉
More to follow.
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Blocking a fire exit is incredibly dangerous - and it's illegal.
This has now been fixed, but serious questions remain about how the decision was made to tie up this route to safety.
There are no two ways about it: blocking, locking and tampering with fire exits kills people.
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Solidarity with @theRCN nurses as they continue their fight today.
Their vital fight for better pay and a working NHS continues, and we stand with them ✊✊✊
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The Grenfell Inquiry spent weeks upon weeks questioning firefighters and control staff, who did absolutely everything they could to save lives in horrific conditions.
On Friday we found out that there will be just five days of politicians being questioned.
That's disgraceful.
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Solidarity with striking bin workers in Birmingham!
Lib Dem Councillor Roger Harmer cluelessly declared that firefighters should step in and clear waste off the streets.
We're advising members not to carry out any strike-breaking work. The FBU are in full support of striking refuse workers.
#Birmingham
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Today is a hugely important day for @theRCN nurses.
For the first time in their history they've been forced to take nationwide strike action, on pay and patient safety.
Nurses are some of our most vital workers. Firefighters and control staff are with you in this fight ✊✊✊
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🚨 NEW | Tony Blair's despicable comments are the remarks of an out of touch millionaire.
In an interview, Blair said that tragedies like Grenfell cannot be completely avoided, and people are "going to make mistakes" even in "well-intentioned systems".
@MattWrack responds:
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If this crisis is doing one thing, it’s vindicating what we knew all along: that the low-paid aren’t low skilled, that key workers aren't the rich who clean us out, but the ones who keep us clean and safe. When this crisis subsides, let’s remember who kept this country running.
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Fire safety is a serious matter and this situation calls for a grown-up approach.
As firefighters it is our duty to sound the alarm about the Bibby Stockholm.
We await a response from the Home Secretary in regard to our serious fire safety concerns.
mirror.co.uk/news/politics/r…
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WOW.
Today a HUGE 1,800 firefighters and control staff came to Westminster to tell MPs loud and clear: it's #FairPayorFireStrike.
#VoteYes
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Labour was founded by unions to serve working people, not the rich.
This walks and talks like cash for access and it has no place in the Labour Party. End of.
Exc: Labour under Keir Starmer is offering wealthy donors "invite-only strategy updates"
It comes as he seeks to woo those alienated by Corbyn
Per brochure those who "give at the highest level" go on a "journey" including a welcome party hosted by Angela Rayner at conference
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London firefighter cuts mean we have persistently high levels of fire engines off the run because there aren't enough firefighters to crew them.
Every engine off the run means additional risk to the public and their safety.
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Today's Mirror front page.
It's finally time that previous and current governments are held to account for failures that led to the fire.
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Today, our thoughts are with the 72 people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire four years ago.
Forever in our hearts. 💚
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Up the @ASLEFunion rail workers taking to the picket lines today.
Stand strong. We're behind you all the way ✊
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As another heatwave approaches the fire and rescue service is still underfunded and underresourced.
Last month we saw real damage. We are set to see that again.
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The final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry has now been published. On this day, we remember the 72 lives lost.
This report demonstrates beyond doubt that an agenda of deregulation cost lives.
We share the grief and anger of the bereaved, survivors and residents.
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The richest 350 individuals and families in the UK hold a combined wealth of £795 billion.
With wealth like that, how can Rachel Reeves justify further welfare cuts, affecting only the poorest individuals and families?
FBU @UnionSteveW challenges Reeves' spring statement on @LBC.
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Last year, the government said ACM cladding should be removed from every single one of the 327 buildings wrapped in the deadly material by June 2020.
With one month to go, just 20 have been made safe.
Utterly shameful.
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NEW: Freedom of Information requests reveal that Chief Fire Officers are on average on £148,000 - whilst many ordinary firefighters, on £32,244, are forced to foodbanks.
#VoteYes #FairPayorFireStrike
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Firefighters face a stark choice at this election; a transformative @jeremycorbyn-led government that will rebuild the fire and rescue service; or another five years of disastrous Tory cuts
#GE2019 #RealChange
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We are very pleased to announce that we have been successful at the court of appeal in our pensions case against the government.
More to follow.
#PensionJustice
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🚨| Fresh from BBC News at Six.
We have serious concerns about fire safety on the Bibby Stockholm, and they aren't going away.
Everyone has the right to a decent home. Fires don't discriminate. Neither should fire safety regulations.
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The future of our fire and rescue service is at stake in this election.
#LabourManifesto #GE19 #GE2019
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The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has now confirmed that Firefighter Barry Martin has passed away following serious injuries sustained at a fire in the Jenners Building in Edinburgh on Monday 23rd January.
A statement from our General Secretary @MattWrack.
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It's time for water to be brought back into public ownership.
Firefighters need clean, high-pressure water to tackle fires safely - but private water companies have failed to deliver.
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🚨BREAKING: The government has announced authoritarian ‘minimum service levels’ for the fire and rescue service.
This legislation seeks to ban firefighters, control staff and other workers from taking strike action.
The Fire Brigades Union will resist in every way possible.
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As the government announces another anti-migrant policy, trade unions have come together to declare their solidarity with refugees.
We are proud to have helped to coordinate this statement.
fbu.org.uk/news/2023/03/05/t…
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Exploiting the hunger of children for profit is violence, pure and simple.
#FreeSchoolMeals On the left £30 of food. On the right what private company Chartwells have supplied having been awarded a government contract to supply for £30 free school meals.
Utterly shameful profiteering off some of the country's most disadvantaged kids!
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We know that the law is not always on the right side of history. The Supreme Court ruling last month does not make public spaces safer for anyone.
The interim guidance is unworkable, unhelpful and will only lead to an increase in discrimination for workers, including in fire stations and in control rooms.
Trans people are not a threat. Gender-based violence and misogyny are.
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We are disappointed that FBU President, Ian Murray, has not been elected Chair of Labour’s national executive committee.
The decision will be seen as factional and a slap in the face to Labour’s trade union affiliates. (1/3)
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You need to register to vote before 23:59 TONIGHT!
GET. ON. IT.
👉👉bit.ly/2KSpaPy
#GE2019
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Firefighters using foodbanks is a disgusting situation for our society to be in. Enough is enough.
@MattWrack gave evidence to Parliament today
#VoteToReject
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Some fire services are currently trying to send firefighters into fires without their breathing apparatus turned on.
We cannot allow an underresourced fire and rescue service to risk lives like this.
As a union we will continue to fight against this disastrous policy.
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🚨 BREAKING | The FBU has launched a legal case on the Bibby Stockolm, after sounding the alarm for weeks.
This is an industrial issue for us, and it is disgraceful that the government will not even meet with us to discuss our concerns
We will always stand up for public safety
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40 years ago, a fire at a house party in New Cross killed thirteen young black people
The aftermath shone a light on the endemic racism in the UK government, media and institutions
While we cannot do so today, FBU members staged a guard of honour on the fire's 30th anniversary
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Water companies have taken more than £70bn in dividends, leaving the public with leaking pipes and polluted rivers.
It's time for the government to nationalise water, to ensure firefighters have access to clean water supply to safely tackle fires.
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It’s a shame the @houseofcommons deleted this tweet. We think it’s an accurate reflection of how little this government cares about the threat of flooding, or the hardworking firefighters and other emergency service workers who respond bravely to it.
ICYMI, yesterday the Tories voted against:
❌ saying thank you to emergency services for their work during the floods;
❌ holding an independent review into preparing for and responding to flooding
And they have the audacity to call themselves the “people’s government”
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"The new pay offer for firefighters still isn’t enough. We can’t go on like this."
@MattWrack tells @thetimes why we're calling for firefighters to reject fire service employers' revised pay offer and why the fight for fair pay continues
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Getting those #FairPayOrFireStrike ballots in nice and early 👏 #VoteYes
Our posties are doing a stellar job delivering our ballots, all while fighting for their own pay and conditions. We're all in this together so support @CWUnews on the picket lines tomorrow ✊
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This is grotesque. Building company @BerkeleyGroupUK
have told the government to relax the ban on the type of cladding that killed 72 people at Grenfell, calling it 'low risk'
This is what protecting profits over people looks like - and it is shameful
thetimes.co.uk/article/time-…
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WOW: FBU members have SMASHED the consultative ballot on the disgraceful 5% pay offer ✊✊✊
A massive 79% have voted to reject it, on a 78% turnout.
Watch this space for further updates.
fbu.org.uk/news/2022/11/14/f…
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🚨BREAKING: Labour is set to repeal both the Minimum Service Levels and the 2016 Trade Union Act.
The Tories brought these laws in to ban workers from defending jobs, pay and conditions.
This legislation wouldn't be out of place under a dictatorship - good riddance.
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🚨NEW | Steve Wright has called on Labour MPs to rebel on the government's welfare cuts when it comes to a vote next month.
Cuts to disability benefits are due to leave millions of people thousands of pounds a year worse off.
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This morning, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry was told that Celotex, manufacturers of the building's flammable insulation, deliberately misled buyers and regulators into thinking their highly flammable insulation was safe for high-rise buildings.
Stomach-churning.
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Middle East Eye
🏥 Nursing staff across England will strike again from 8pm tonight until 11:59pm on Monday.
✊ Solidarity with all striking NHS staff.
👉 Find your nearest picket lines to visit here strikemap.org
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The FBU stands in solidarity with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition volunteers.
Israel's blockade of life-saving aid is illegal. The fire engine stocked with PPE and firefighting kit, which FBU members delivered to the West Bank last year, was also detained by Israeli customs.
The UK government must step in and end these blockades.
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