Firefighters and control room staff have voted to strike over pay for the first time since 2003.
Members of the Fire Brigades Union backed walkouts by 88% after rejecting a 5% pay offer, which fell below inflation.
The government and employers are now being given 10 days to improve their offer before the union decides its next move.
The FBU stressed that the vote on industrial action follows more than a decade of real-terms pay cuts.
Polling shows public support for strike action by firefighters is strong, with three in five people backing action.
General secretary Matt Wrack stressed the offer on the table would mean ‘further significant cuts to real-terms wages’.
He said: ‘They have already lost at least 12% of the value of their pay since 2010. This is an absolute last resort for our members.
‘The responsibility for any disruption to services lies squarely with fire service employers and government ministers.
‘Rishi Sunak’s government has refused to make funding available for a decent pay offer to firefighters and control staff.
‘Firefighters were among Britain’s Covid heroes who kept frontline services going during the pandemic.
‘The prime minister has badly misjudged the public mood by imposing pay cuts on key workers.
‘Our members risk their health and safety, and sometimes their lives, round the clock to keep people safe and serve their communities.
‘But with inflation and energy bills rocketing, they are now increasingly struggling to pay the bills or to afford the basics.’
Mr Wrack insisted that the government and employers ‘have the power to stop strikes from happening by making a credible offer’.
Without an improved offer, the FBU is expected to announce a series of strike dates in the coming weeks
‘The ball is in their court,’ Mr Wrack said. ‘We have delayed calling strikes to allow the employers to meet us and to make a new offer. I hope they take that opportunity.’
This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
Share this with