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AT THE END of June last year, FBU national officer Sean Starbuck departed the union in controversial circumstances – the latest in a string of employees to leave after receiving a confidential pay-off in return for signing a gagging order. Under union rules, an election for Starbuck’s replacement should have been held by 30 December… Continue reading FBU leadership breaks rules by failing to hold key national election

FBU LEADERS HAVE been ordered to appear before the official regulator for trade unions – known as the ‘certification officer’ – after refusing to withdraw their demand that a member sign a secrecy agreement as a condition of being allowed to inspect the union’s accounts. A member of the FBU – who is also a… Continue reading FBU leadership to face public hearing over attempts to block financial transparency

IAN SIM has been declared the winner in the election for Scottish regional secretary. Sim, a critic of the current FBU leadership, defeated incumbent (and favoured candidate of the union’s head office) Denise Christie by 757 votes to 588. The result was announced after the union’s executive council decided to reinstate the election yesterday (Friday)… Continue reading Challenger declared winner in Scottish regional secretary election as FBU leadership finally admits: we did suspend ballot

by Dean Gillen, former FBU brigade chair for Nottinghamshire CAMPAIGN FOR A DEMOCRATIC FBU is made up of individuals from around the country who are serving or out-of-trade members of the Fire Brigades Union. Some have held positions within the union. We have come together to try and highlight some of the mismanagement and wrongdoing… Continue reading I was proud to represent the FBU. Now I want to reclaim it for the membership

LAST WEEK, we reported that the election for the position of FBU regional secretary for Scotland had been suspended just 15 minutes before the close of balloting. The controversial decision to halt the high-profile election – which came just days after the equally contentious decision to suspend the region’s executive council member, Chris McGlone, on… Continue reading REVEALED: how FBU head office misled Scottish members over suspension of regional secretary election

FOLLOWING NEWS EARLIER this week that the FBU’s executive council member for the Scottish region, Chris McGlone, had been suspended from office, there is fresh controversy in the region after the union’s head office suspended the election for the key post of regional secretary just 15 minutes before it was due to close. There were… Continue reading Fresh controversy in Scotland as regional secretary election is suspended just FIFTEEN MINUTES before declaration of result

THE FBU’s executive council (EC) member for the Scottish region, Chris McGlone, has been suspended from office. McGlone, seen as a critic of the current leadership, has served on the EC since 2015. It has been reported that he was suspended by the union’s vice-president, Ben Selby. Selby is known to be a close ally… Continue reading Suspension of FBU executive council member for Scotland: here’s what we know

REGULAR READERS WILL be aware of the long-running saga over a request by an FBU member (and member of the Campaign for a Democratic FBU steering committee) to inspect the accounts of the union. By law, all trade union members are entitled to inspect the accounting records of their union – and unions are required… Continue reading FBU leadership hires top barrister in latest bid to block financial transparency

LAST WEEK, we reported on how the FBU leadership had, at the eleventh hour, pulled the plug on a planned inspection of the union’s accounts by a member. The leadership had demanded the member sign a ‘confidentiality agreement’ – in reality a secrecy agreement – before permitting the inspection to take place. When the member… Continue reading Trade union regulator tells FBU leadership: You are in the wrong over accounts dispute

Last-minute cancellation of inspection is latest in series of desperate attempts by leadership to block scrutiny of spending decisions Secrecy agreement “designed to impede accountability and transparency” Leadership threatens member with court action if he doesn’t sign WHY ARE FBU leaders trying to prevent members from exercising their legal right to inspect the accounts of… Continue reading FBU leadership pulls plug on inspection of accounts after member refuses to sign secrecy agreement