Catherwood LibraryILR School

Britain's Fire Brigades Union (FBU) plans to end a nationwide no strike agreement dating from a nine-week walkout in 1977-78, and begin engaging in massive industrial actions if the government fails to address wage issues. Union officials assert that the agreement---which was once the pride of the FBU and the envy of other workers---is outdated and has caused firefighter' wages to fall to an unacceptable level. The FBU is calling for a one-time ten percent raise this year to bring their members' wages up to par, and a new automatic raise system to replace the old system that provides for automatic annual wage increases mirroring those achieved by the top twenty-five percent of male industrial workers.