Dear Brother/Sister,
Employers’ pay offer 2025
Today the national fire service employers’ have written to the FBU with an offer on pay, with effect from 1 July 2025. The employers’ letter is attached to this circular.
The Offer
The National Employers have made the following offer:
- A 3.2% increase on all basic pay rates and Continual Professional Development payments with effect from 1 July 2025
- To address the issue of Trainee rates of pay, by removing that rate from all NJC pay scales from 1 July 2025
- A very clear commitment to an ongoing negotiation around Grey Book pay reform, including pay progression
- To improve the Grey Book provision around notice periods.
Assessment and recommendation
The Executive Council has carefully assessed the offer and asks members to consider the
following points:
- On current and projected rates of inflation, the pay offer would mark a real increase in pay. The latest inflation figure for March 2025 was 2.6%, measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI)
- The offer is greater than the rate the Westminster government budgeted for in other sectors such as education and health
- The offer addresses a significant problem for our lowest paid members, who would now start their career on development rates of pay
- The offer includes a commitment from the employers to negotiate with the FBU on pay progression and other important matters raised by members.
Full time officials have held intensive negotiations with the employers over pay for many months and this has increased in frequency in recent weeks. One key aim of the FBU has been to seek an offer for this year which could be implemented in time for the settlement date in July. The timing of this offer allows this to be achieved. The offer does not redress years of attacks on our pay and conditions and we must continue to campaign for long term improvements.
Having assessed the offer, the Executive Council has agreed to recommend that members should vote to accept the offer.
The Executive Council has agreed to conduct a ballot of members to seek agreement for the pay offer. This will be conducted in hybrid form - by post and online.
Further information will follow on details of the ballot.
The Executive Council recommends that members vote – ACCEPT
Yours in unity,
Steve Wright
General Secretary
