Employees’ Secretary, Matt Wrack
Bradley House, 68 Coombe Rd
Kingston upon Thames KT2 7AE
Telephone 020 8541 1765
Email [email protected]
Our Ref: MW/sll
29 April 2021
Naomi Cooke
Employers’ Secretary
Fire and Rescue Services
National Employers
18 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3HZ
Dear Naomi
June NJC: Fire Service Pay 2021
We have discussed the issue of pay 2021 at meetings of the NJC joint secretaries and of the NJC lead members. At these meetings, we have set out the position of the FBU. We are approaching the June meeting of the NJC and the pay settlement date. We have also expressed our view that the employers’ side should be in a position to respond to us on the issue of pay with an offer earlier than in previous years. We hope this can be done by the June meeting so that an offer on pay is available for consideration by our members prior to the settlement date of 1st July.
You are aware that a decade of austerity and government pay freezes has reduced real wages for firefighters. This has undermined morale in the service and created real hardship for our members and their families. The employers’ side has an obligation to address this and to avoid turning the fire and rescue service into a low pay industry.
Both sides of the NJC will be aware that firefighters (including emergency fire control staff) have delivered outstanding public service since the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic early in 2020.
They have ensured that we continue to deliver a first class fire and rescue service despite the safety challenges posed by Covid-19. Furthermore, they have delivered numerous additional Covid-related activities which have assisted the effort to tackle the pandemic. We should all be extremely proud of the contribution they have made. After a hugely challenging year, the employees’ side of the NJC expects this contribution to be acknowledged; that includes by delivering a real increase in pay.
- Pay increase: Using CPI as the measure of inflation a competent firefighter needs an increase of more than £4,000 to restore real wages lost over more than a decade of austerity. Therefore a settlement for 2021 should urgently begin to address this through an immediate and significant pay rise as well as by setting out a roadmap for further significant improvements in pay.
- Pay progression: We have set out our concerns about the impact of the current flat pay structure on our members. You are aware that this has had the effect of hitting employees on Grey Book rates harder than those in sectors with systems of pay progression. CPD should be equalised and could be incorporated into a new system of pay progression beyond the competent rate.
- New roles: The employees’ side has also previously set out the union’s expectation for any agreement in relation to broadening the role of a firefighter. We remain committed to developing the work of our service in the face of changing risk. This must be done by negotiation and agreement. It also requires investment from the governments of the UK. Nevertheless, these discussions should be immediately progressed.
In view of the above, the employers’ side of the NJC needs to urgently address these issues by means of an immediate and substantial pay increase to NJC rates of pay. We hope this can be concluded prior to 1st July.
Yours sincerely
Matt Wrack
General Secretary