Employer offering £1,000 a shift to break strikes, union alleges

Fire chiefs in Hertfordshire are offering firefighters £1,000 per shift to break strikes as part of a “resilience fire cover” scheme, the FBU has stated.The union has previously given the government and employers until 9 February to make a decent pay offer. If none is received, the union will proceed with strike action (see last issue). FBU general secretary Matt Wrack commented: “If the money can be found to pay people these kinds of sums to break strikes, it can be found for a decent pay deal.“What is being reported about Hertfordshire is likely to be the tip of the iceberg. All over the country, fire and rescue services will be putting in place contingency arrangements – very often at great expense.”“This is an insult to firefighters who are struggling after more than a decade of falling pay. It also represents a terrible use of public money.”“We registered a pay claim in May 2022 and have been trying to negotiate a settlement ever since. The average firefighter has lost the real terms equivalent of about £4,000 a year in pay since 2010.”https://www.fbu.org.uk/news/2023/02/03/scheme-offering-ps1000-shift-break-strikes-insult-and-waste-public-money