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The current rate of inflation is 2% and wage increases need to stick around that level
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I think most people understand the correlation between wages and inflation but (and this is a BIG but!), the fire fighters have not had a review of their pay for nearly 20 years - which other sector of industry has fallen so far behind? I think the 40% figure is to make the general public aware of the fact that a fire fighters wage has decreased, in real terms, by that much over the last two decades.
They are trying to get back to what their true position should have been if their pay had been regularly reviewed and had risen as it should have.
I think most people would understand that our emergency services are underpaid when you look at other public sector workers, i.e. Civil Servants, Government employees (both local and national) and Government Ministers for that matter. I work in the NHS and am not earning a vast fortune but I have no qualms whatsoever about a fire fighter earning more money than I do - I think it's only right and proper. I sit at my desk, use my computer, and manage a team of staff, hardly a life saving role.
I think they DESERVE to get a rise in excess of the current inflation figure. I think they DESERVE to get a wage that more accurately reflects the tough, hard, important role they perform. I think they DESERVE to be listened to in an adult, non patronising manner. I think they DESERVE a wage that brings them more in line with the rises we have all enoyed over the last 20 years.
Who amongst us can say, hand on heart, that our current salary is only worth, in real terms, what we were paid 20 years ago. I know I couldn't and I suspect most of you couldn't either.
The fire fighters ARE a special case, in my opinion, and should be treated as such.