The FBU slams Suffolk fire service for prolonged pay errors affecting pensions and holiday pay, causing firefighter anger.
The Fire Brigades Union disagrees. They say problems lasted eight years and report repeated pay errors with pensions. Holiday pay was miscalculated, and late payments also happened.
Promotions and sick leave pay had issues. Some workers had big underpayments in 2023. These totaled over a thousand. The FBU says some suffer from arrears; they blame persistent payroll mistakes.
A report criticized the fire service’s IT. Senior leaders also received criticism. Phil Johnston is FBU’s Suffolk brigade chair. He said firefighters feel very angry because they are not paid correctly. He added that leaders ignored this issue for years.
Johnston said the council must act and pay firefighters properly. The union has made formal complaints. They discussed this in meetings.
The council said a manual error caused overpayments. They apologized for the trouble and quickly notified affected workers. They added extra checks. New software should prevent repeated errors. It will help ensure fair pay.
The council wants to work with the FBU. They want to improve working conditions. Opposition councillors also expressed concerns. Simon Harley spoke for his group.
He said the union’s claims worried him and believes morale is low in the fire service. Harley expects the council to investigate. He says it is a matter of urgency. Firefighters do a dangerous job, and the council must make them feel valued.