The Fire Brigades Union has announced the dated for a ballot on strike action following firefighters and control staff voting to reject a 5% pay offer.

In the consultative ballot over the pay offer, 79% voted to reject the 5% offer, with 78% of eligible members voting in the ballot.

A ballot on strike action will open on Monday 5 December to Monday 23 January.

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said: “FBU members have spoken. This result of the consultative ballot, on a two week turnaround, shows that there is remarkable strength of feeling amongst firefighters and control staff on this derisory pay offer. The ball is in the employers’ and government’s court. There is still an opportunity to resolve this dispute and we will be writing to Fire Ministers and government departments across the UK requesting urgent meetings.

“We have firefighters using foodbanks. Our members worked through the pandemic to help protect their communities, taking on extra duties to do so. A further real-terms pay cuts is an absolutely disgusting way to thank them. Whilst strike action is always a last resort, our members simply can’t go on like this.”