Fire Brigades Union

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Fire Brigades Union (FBU)

The Fire Brigades Union is a UK trade union for whole-time firefighters (including officers up to chief fire officer), retained firefighters, and emergency control room staff. It was founded in 1918 and is based in Kingston upon Thames. As of 2024, it has about 33,717 members. The General Secretary is Steve Wright; the Assistant General Secretary is Ben Selby; the President is Ian Murray. The FBU has been affiliated with the Labour Party at various times (1918–2004; 2015–present).

A short history
- Early roots: The union grew from branches of other unions in the early 1900s and became its own body in 1930, when it adopted the name Fire Brigades Union.
- World War II: The Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) was created and expanded greatly to support full-time fire brigades.
- Post-war: The fire service was nationalised in 1941.
- 2000s: The union led a pay-and-conditions strike in 2002. Matt Wrack was elected General Secretary in 2005.
- 2010s: Pension disputes led to several strikes in 2013–14.
- 2020s: In 2023, members voted in favor of strike action over pay; a revised offer was put to members in February 2023.

Recent actions and issues
- In 2024, 114 firefighters who helped at Grenfell Tower were awarded £20 million in a compensation case led by the FBU against several parties.
- In January 2025, Matt Wrack lost a bid to be re-elected as vice-president to Steve Wright, but a ballot issue led to avoiding a rerun.
- The FBU left the Labour Party in 2004 but rejoined in November 2015 in support of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
- The union has spoken on climate and safety, warning that fire services are under-resourced for climate-related risks; it has urged stronger protection for communities against wildfires.
- The FBU has supported firefighters in the occupied Palestinian territories since the 1980s, including donations of fire engines to Nablus in 2011.
- In 2024, the union advised its members not to assist police in removing protesters during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
- A 2023 internal report found that around a third of female members had experienced sexual harassment at union events.

Key facts
- Headquarters: Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
- Members: 33,717 (2024)
- Affiliated with Labour Party (1918–2004; 2015–present) and with various international and trade-union bodies
- Website: fbu.org.uk

The FBU remains a major representative body for UK firefighters, campaigning on pay, safety, pensions, and broader issues affecting fire services and public safety.