Firefighters and control room staff have voted to accept a pay offer from fire service employers; 73% accepted on a turnout of 60%. The national ballot closed on 17 May.
The offer is for:
- 4% pay rise across the board
- UK-wide minimum of 26 weeks full-pay maternity leave
- significant increase in the retaining fee for RDS firefighters
The deal was the product of months of negotiations after the FBU wrote to employers in December.
4% rise
From 1 July 2024, all firefighters and control room staff will receive a 4% rise in their basic salary and CPD rates. The most recent measure of consumer prices index (CPI) inflation, in April, was 2.3%, meaning that this year’s pay offer will be a real-terms increase.
The 4% rise – on top of the 7% in July 2022 and 5% in July 2023 – means that firefighters will have experienced a 16% pay rise over the course of the past three years, taking the basic salary of a competent firefighter from £32,244 in July 2021 to £37,675 from July 2024.
Maternity pay
Firefighters across the UK will now be entitled to a minimum of 26 weeks’ full-pay maternity leave. Until this pay deal, the minimum was 90% pay for six weeks followed by half-pay for 12 weeks.
The increase follows the launch of the FBU’s Fight for 52 campaign, which has made the case for a full year of maternity leave on full pay.
A number of services, such as Manchester and the West Midlands, already offer 52 weeks on full pay, while London offers 39 weeks. These will be unaffected by the deal, and the FBU will continue its fight for 52 weeks across the board.
Retaining fee
Rather than getting 10% of a basic salary, an RDS firefighter will now get 15% for offering 120 hours of cover per week – an increase of 50%. Just as importantly, the retaining fee will now taper, providing a substantial increase for those providing less than 120 hours’ cover. The graphic provides details.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “For the first time in decades, we have won a substantial increase to the retainer paid to RDS firefighters.
“Ultimately, employers know that firefighters are prepared to stand together and enter dispute. The offer also demonstrates the value of collective bargaining. Unlike sectors with so-called ‘independent’ pay review bodies, we sit down with our employers and negotiate.”
