THERE IS NOW the likelihood of a significant and historic split in the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) following the launch of a breakaway organisation in the union’s second-largest region. A group calling itself the ‘London Firefighters Union’ (LFU) – reportedly the creation of a number of serving FBU officials – recently signalled its arrival via… Continue reading FBU on brink of major rupture as breakaway union launched
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FBU general secretary under pressure to come clean after London regional committee demands full disclosure on “hush money” payments
WORD REACHES THIS blog via sources in the London region of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) that the executive council member for that region, Dave Shek, has written to the general secretary, Matt Wrack, to demand full disclosure of all information relating to secret exit payments and gagging clauses issued to departing members of the… Continue reading FBU general secretary under pressure to come clean after London regional committee demands full disclosure on “hush money” payments
REVEALED: how FBU leadership ILLEGALLY HID bumper exit payments to senior officials from trade union regulator and union’s members
THE SCANDAL AROUND secret exit payments at the top of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is set to take a very serious turn following the discovery by this blog that the union’s leadership breached its legal duty to declare substantial pay-offs it had made to three departing national officers in financial statements it sent to… Continue reading REVEALED: how FBU leadership ILLEGALLY HID bumper exit payments to senior officials from trade union regulator and union’s members
The events taking place at the top of the Fire Brigades Union are shocking. Is it time to start using the ‘c’ word?
THE ‘C’ WORD. Corruption. A serious charge, and not one that should ever be made lightly. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to discuss the events that have occurred at the top of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) without the word seeping into the conversation. Anyone who doubts this should look at the facts –… Continue reading The events taking place at the top of the Fire Brigades Union are shocking. Is it time to start using the ‘c’ word?
Questions stacking up for FBU leadership as it is revealed that a THIRD national officer departed the union with a secret pay-off and gagging order after complaining of mistreatment
A THIRD national officer departed the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) with a secret pay-off and non-disclosure agreement after complaining of mistreatment, this blog can reveal. And, just as happened in the two other cases, the full facts surrounding the payment and gagging clause were not provided to the union’s ruling executive council by senior officials… Continue reading Questions stacking up for FBU leadership as it is revealed that a THIRD national officer departed the union with a secret pay-off and gagging order after complaining of mistreatment
Promises turned to dust: how Matt Wrack abandoned key principles after becoming general secretary
THIS BLOG believes strongly that internal union debates should never be personalised – that is to say that members should never resort to personal abuse or vilification in their arguments with fellow members or officials of the union. However, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be free to examine the personal records of our elected… Continue reading Promises turned to dust: how Matt Wrack abandoned key principles after becoming general secretary
Guess who once published an exposé on dodgy financial dealings by top officials inside the Fire Brigades Union
A FINANCIAL SCANDAL inside the Fire Brigades Union. Secret backroom deals. Senior officials caught misusing members’ money. A sudden and mysterious retirement. Claims of a “conspiracy of silence”. The membership misled. Calls for heads to roll. Demands to restore openness and accountability. 2023? No, it’s 1994, and a rank-and-file bulletin, Flame, has published a dossier… Continue reading Guess who once published an exposé on dodgy financial dealings by top officials inside the Fire Brigades Union
Fire Brigades Union calls for campaign against workplace non-disclosure agreements… Oh, wait a minute!
CONCERT HALL, Perth, Scotland. October 2019. The Scottish TUC is holding its 92nd annual women’s conference. There is an important resolution on the order paper. The resolution highlights an issue that is giving real cause for concern throughout the trade union movement – namely the increasing use by employers of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) as a… Continue reading Fire Brigades Union calls for campaign against workplace non-disclosure agreements… Oh, wait a minute!
Fresh “hush money” revelations: a second FBU national officer was secretly paid off after making bullying allegations – and this one received over £100k
THIS BLOG can today reveal that an elected national officer of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) who had made a complaint of bullying against the general secretary, Matt Wrack, was paid a staggering £109,000 of members’ money as part of a secret backroom agreement to end his employment and keep quiet about his alleged treatment.… Continue reading Fresh “hush money” revelations: a second FBU national officer was secretly paid off after making bullying allegations – and this one received over £100k
Why was an elected FBU national officer secretly paid £50,000 of members’ money to keep quiet?
SEAN STARBUCK was one of the Fire Brigades Union’s most senior and respected officials. After serving for many years as a firefighter and local FBU official in the north of England, he secured the votes of thousands of members when he stood successfully for the position of national officer. Starbuck was one of a… Continue reading Why was an elected FBU national officer secretly paid £50,000 of members’ money to keep quiet?