Steve Wright elected general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union

Steve Wright has served as vice-president of the FBU since 2023 and as the Executive Council member for the Southern region. Wright has been an FBU member for more than 20 years and first became a branch representative during the 2002-2003 pay campaign. He joined the Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service back in 2001 at the age of 18 and transferred to the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service five years later. His term of office begins immediately.

“I am deeply honoured to have been elected as general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union,” enthused Wright, “and I want to thank all FBU members who participated in this election. I will work with the Executive Council and all FBU officials every day to deliver on pay, pensions and Terms and Conditions.”

Wright continued: “I stand by the commitments made to members in my election statement. The FBU remains committed to implementing the policies set by members at the Annual Conference. We will campaign for a fit-for-purpose Fire and Rescue Service that protects the public and its employees backed by genuine investment and national standards.”

Further, Wright noted: “Our Trade Union’s members have a proud history of standing together. Recent campaigns have shown what can be achieved through unity and determination. We will continue to build on achievements made to dat in order to win improvements in pay, Terms and Conditions and safety and lead the fight for equality in the Fire and Rescue Service.”

He concluded: “The strength of our Trade Union can be found in its members. I now look forward to working with all of our members to deliver on the priorities that we set together.”

Real progress

Former FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “I’m proud to have led the Fire Brigades Union for two decades, a period which has seen eight Prime Ministers. We have fought back against attacks on the Fire and Rescue Service and laid the foundations for real progress.”  

Continuing this theme, Wrack opined: “Much of the FBU’s work in that time is only now coming to fruition. For the first time in more than 20 years, we should soon see national standards in the Fire and Rescue Service and the FBU is able to play its role in advising ministers directly on Fire Service policy.”

Wrack is adamant that, due to the FBU’s campaigning, and that of other Trade Unions, we are likely to see the biggest workers’ rights package in recent years, including the repeal of anti-Trade Union laws that “sought to ban effective strike action” in the sector.

“By mobilising and winning an overwhelming mandate for industrial action, the FBU has won a 16% pay rise over the past three years, with no strings attached. We have also made significant progress on maternity pay and the retaining fee for RDS firefighters.”

Wrack went on to state: “I am proud to have led the longest period of strike action in our Trade Union’s history, over pensions, in 2013-2015. Our legal fight on pensions has won many millions for firefighters and £19 billion for workers across the public sector. Our DECON campaign has changed the conversation in our sector about fire contaminants.”

Wrack feels that the FBU has played a leading role in the fight for equality in the face of “some appalling behaviours” and a “systemic failure” by Fire Service leadership. “This work has meant having difficult conversations inside our Trade Union and must be continued.”

In conclusion, Wrack observed: “I leave the FBU with my head held high. I became a socialist as a teenager and I have been a Trade Unionist all my working life. My views and values haven’t changed.”