Firefighters may have “no other option” but to take strike action if an anticipated £36 million in cuts to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service go ahead, a union has warned.
Hundreds of Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members across Scotland gathered for a rally at George Square in Glasgow on Thursday in protest against savings expected to be required at the fire service over the next four years.
The demo was addressed by union officials and politicians including Green MSP Maggie Chapman and Labour’s Pauline McNeill.
FBU Scottish secretary John McKenzie warned that members could consider walking out if the Scottish Government does not heed their concerns.
He said: “Our members take this really seriously.
“The Scottish Government have an opportunity to listen to their concerns. They can show that in their budget in December.
What a turnout in Glasgow at the #CutsLeaveScars rally.
Firefighters from Scotland and beyond sending a clear message to the Scottish Government – you can't protect the public on the cheap.
Stop the cuts, fund Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. pic.twitter.com/ywiLLsbGWI
— Fire Brigades Union (@fbunational) August 24, 2023
“If they fail to do that, they will leave our members with no other option but to consider industrial action, and that industrial action will be up to and including strike action.
“Our members’ morale has been chipped away at over the last 10 years.
“It ultimately means they can provide less of a service to the public.”
Mr McKenzie said the Government is yet to reply after the FBU wrote to ministers over the anticipated cuts.
He added: “We’ve had decent engagement with the minister on this, but ultimately this is about funding.
“Engagement isn’t going to cut it. We’ve seen significant funding stripped from our service over the last 10 years, much greater cuts due to come, and our members aren’t going to tolerate that.”
Mr McKenzie warned the cuts could mean communities have to wait longer for fire appliances to be deployed to emergencies and members of the public may therefore sustain injuries that would otherwise have been avoided.
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack also addressed the rally on Thursday.
He said: “We are proud of what we do but there is a price to pay from communities and Government.
“We demand a return to decent levels of investment, decent fire engines, decent procedures, training… all the things that we need to plan, protect and intervene to tackle fires and other emergencies, and we make no apologies for making those demands.
“We went to the Scottish Parliament some months ago, we will be back at the Scottish Parliament later this autumn.
“We are going nowhere, this is just the start of our campaign and we will fight until we win.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is a vital service which is why, despite difficult financial circumstances due to UK Government austerity, we are providing it with more than £368 million this year, an increase of £14.4 million on 2023/23.
“We are also maintaining frontline services, with a higher number of firefighters in Scotland than other parts of the UK, and we are pleased firefighters have also recently accepted an improved pay offer.”
