Budget 2024: FBU warns Tory austerity ‘needs to stop’ to rebuild fire services

The Fire Brigades Union has called on the government to rebuild the nation’s fire service after more than a decade of austerity so fire crews can tackle future risks and build resilience.

Hundreds of firefighters packed the Emmanuel Church near Parliament for what was billed as “the first national trade union rally of its kind since the general election” to demand the new Labour government provide greater funding and provide national standards on training and equipment.

Addressing fire crews from across the country, FBU President Ian Murray said: “For the new Westminster government, it’s now time to deliver.

“The Tories got absolutely walloped – they absolutely deserved it. Everybody in this room knows what they’ve done to the fire and rescue service. The jobs that have been lost, the stations that have been closed. The pay and pensions that have been attacked.

“We now have a new government and whatever you may think of it, it presents to us an opportunity to get an improvement in our fire and rescue service.

“We’re here to demand investment so that those that work in the fire service can do their jobs to the best of their ability as safely as possible, and in doing so keep our communities safe.”

READ MORE: What do trade unions hope to see in Budget 2024?

The Labour-affiliated union outlined ten demands for the Labour government including the creation of a new statutory advisory body, scrapping anti-union legislation, safeguarding collective bargaining and setting national standards to keep firefighters and communities safe.

Speaking to LabourList at of the event, general secretary Matt Wrack said: “You can see firefighters from across the country gathering here.

“They’re here because every single fire service for the past 14 years has faced devastating cuts to the numbers of jobs, fire stations and fire engines under austerity, but also the fire service is fragmented, with different standards applying in different parts of the country.

“We’re here to say to the new government that needs to stop and we need to invest in the fire service.”

Wrack said that the rally had “sent a firm message to the government that the fire service is in crisis”.

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