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SO A NEW dawn beckons. Matt Wrack is out after 20 years at the helm of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), and Steve Wright is the new general secretary. Until around 18 months ago, it seemed highly unlikely that Wrack would be deposed. He had, for most of his period in office, enjoyed broad support… Continue reading Learning from the past, building for the future. Dissecting the general secretary election

DID THE GENERAL SECRETARY of the FBU abuse his authority by using the resources of the union, without the approval of the executive council, to threaten a member with legal action after that member made critical comments about him on social media? That question demands an answer after evidence emerged showing that the FBU’s solicitors,… Continue reading FBU lawyers threaten legal action against member who criticised general secretary – but who were they taking orders from?

EVIDENCE PASSED TO this blog in the past 48 hours shows that the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), Matt Wrack, personally intervened to block a membership application from a black firefighter who had made an allegation of racism against one of his close allies. The evidence exposes Wrack to the suggestion that… Continue reading REVEALED: How Matt Wrack tried to stop a black firefighter joining the FBU after he accused a close ally of racism

WORD HAS REACHED this blog that a planned relocation of the Fire Brigades Union’s (FBU) head office has fallen through at the eleventh hour, causing the union a massive logistical headache and potentially costing it many thousands of pounds in professional fees. The union had agreed the terms of sale for its current head office… Continue reading FBU facing costly bill after planned head office relocation collapses at eleventh hour

THE ‘HUSH MONEY’ SCANDAL that has plagued the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) for the past three years took another significant turn earlier today after news broke that the trade union regulator had decided to take the highly unusual step of appointing an official inspector to investigate allegations that secret exit payments were made to a… Continue reading Major development in FBU ‘hush money’ scandal, as trade union watchdog appoints official inspector to investigate secret payments

FIREFIGHTERS LOOK SET to end up with the lowest pay award in the public sector this year after the government confirmed yesterday (29 July) that it would accept the recommendations of pay review bodies covering teachers, NHS staff, police officers, the armed services, judges, doctors, dentists, prison officers and civil servants. The outcome is likely… Continue reading FBU leadership rushed to accept employers’ first pay offer – now firefighters are set to end up with worst settlement in public sector

BACK IN May, this blog criticised the FBU leadership over its handling of a pay offer from the national fire service employers. We highlighted how, on 25 April, literally within hours of having received an offer of a 4% increase – the very first offer made by the employers in the annual pay round –… Continue reading FBU leadership’s rush to accept first pay offer looks more and more a blunder as other public sector workers stand to receive over a third more

REPORTS HAVE REACHED this blog that, at the annual conference of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) last week, general secretary Matt Wrack attempted to distance himself from the ongoing ’hush money’ scandal, which centres on the payment of large sums of members’ money, alongside the issuing of gagging orders, to union employees – including elected… Continue reading Why Matt Wrack’s ‘It wasn’t me, guv’ plea over hush money deals just won’t wash

A BID TO persuade the annual conference of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) to proscribe Campaign For a Democratic FBU has failed. Yesterday (23 May), this blog reported that an emergency resolution had been submitted to the conference – which is taking place in Blackpool this week – calling for our group to be outlawed… Continue reading Victory for rank-and-file democracy, as attempt to ban Campaign For a Democratic FBU falls flat

AN EMERGENCY RESOLUTION attacking Campaign For a Democratic FBU and calling for us to be effectively banned has been submitted to the FBU’s annual conference, which is taking place in Blackpool this week. The resolution, which will be moved by the Scottish delegation, accuses our group of attempting to ‘sow division and disunity within the… Continue reading FBU annual conference to vote on emergency resolution calling for witch-hunt against Campaign For a Democratic FBU