This marked the start of the union’s membership paying a part of their earnings, known as subscriptions, into a political fund.
As with other unions, a political fund enabled the FTU to take part in political activities such as lobbying politicians at every level, or launching campaigns on a wide variety of issues, which would ultimately improve the work and conditions of firefighters. Many of the political issues for firefighters fought by the FTU in 1922 are similar to those the FBU is fighting today. Among those in 1922 would have been pay, pensions and working hours.
Nowadays the FBU has a parliamentary group and is a member of the Trade Union Co-ordinating Group (TUCG) that organises campaigns in Parliament. Unions are required by law to ballot their members every ten years to retain the fund.
