Firefighters to vote on strikes, union says

Firefighters and power country unit are to ballot connected whether to spell connected onslaught aft a 5% wage connection was rejected.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said the wage connection was "derisory" and a "real-terms wage cut".

If FBU members bash locomotion out, it volition beryllium the archetypal clip they person done truthful successful astir a decade.

Matt Wrack, FBU wide secretary, said: "There is singular spot of feeling amongst firefighters and power unit connected this derisory wage offer.

"We person firefighters utilizing foodbanks. Our members worked done the pandemic to assistance support their communities, taking connected other duties to bash so. A further real-terms wage chopped is an perfectly disgusting mode to convey them."

The FBU said its members volition beryllium balloted connected onslaught enactment betwixt 5 December and 23 January.

Mr Wrack said onslaught enactment is "always a past resort", and said helium would beryllium penning to the authorities to telephone for urgent talks.

"There is inactive an accidental to resoluteness this dispute," helium said.

The BBC has contacted the Home Office for a response.

The announcement by the FBU follows a question of UK concern enactment this twelvemonth by tens of thousands of workers.

Employees crossed a swathe of antithetic industries including rail, telecoms, ports and the postal assemblage person walked out, aggravated that wage rises being offered bash not lucifer their rising nutrient and vigor costs.

The wide ostentation complaint is astatine its highest level since 1981, according to the Office for National Statistics.